When Houses Collide
by Koriember
Summary: So an Ylissean, a Hoshidan, and a Nohrian walk into a Monastery.
1. Part One: White Clouds

Garreg Mach Library, 6th Day of the Horsebow Moon, 1192

* * *

"Okay hear me out. Remember your old project... the one with the Ylisseans, Nohrians and the Hoshidans?"

Sylvain's question, while out of the blue, wasn't so odd. Bernadetta perked up, a confused expression upon her meek face. She dropped her quill to find a stack of papers with dust starting to coat the edges. Phew, still there.

"What of it? I'm still working on it. I'm just... stuck. Do you know how hard it is to rewrite everything when I keep losing track of what I want to rewrite? I'm like... not even close to catching up to my original endpoint. I haven't even introduced Shigure yet and now I kinda don't know who to pair Azura with or even if I have to pair her with any-"

"Oh no doubt, no doubt." Sylvain waved his hand dismissively, not caring about the inner workings of his wife's mind and more focused on pitching his idea. "Just, take this seriously okay? What if... they were _here_?"

"Here?"

"Like... among us. Like our allies. Our comrades. Robin and Corrin and everyone else from Archanean Hoshidan and Nohrian legend. In Fódlan... Like helping us in the Unification and the War. Maybe things would've gone differently."

Lady von Varley stifled a laugh, shaking her head.

"That's ridiculous_andakindagoodidea_. How would I even fit them in? Like students? Mercenaries?"

Margrave Gautier shrugged, looking over the multitude of books in the library they helped curate. Advisor Flayn was kind enough to give the couple free reign over the more... _creative_ literature that the growing shelves would hold.

This would get the ban for sacrilege alone. For sure.

"I was originally going to say that you should add them to the original script, but you probably have everything planned out, don't you?"

Bernadetta nervously laughed, nodding in agreement. "Of course I do! Y-yeah! Such a d-detailed... uh, outline? Yeah, outline!"

"Right, so here's what I'm thinking: a slight... divergence. Make something new while your head comes up with ideas. That wouldn't hurt, would it, dearest?"

"I suppose not. It's not a _bad _idea," Bernadetta agreed, picking up a fresh manuscript. "They're kinda old to be students in the monastery though, aren't they?"

"Are they? They were around our age if the Archanean history is accurate. Same with the Hoshidan and Nohrian texts. Maybe a little older... but I think they could make a good house."

"A fourth house? That's ridiculous. Where would they even be? The basement? Actually, that's plausible. Hmm, give me a second to think this out."

* * *

When Houses Collide

* * *

Day 1 of the Shepherds' Liberation of Valentia, Ylisstol

* * *

Corrin and Robin stood above the throne room, smiling at the host of Shepherds at their disposal who sat chatting among themselves in ambient droning.

"It's really happening, huh?"

"It is. You like the feeling? That anticipation before a hard fight... It's nerve-wracking. And exhilarating."

There was a certain thrill in Robin's eyes- a taste of adrenaline in the presence of death and danger, a desire to beat difficult opponents. Leo had the same eyes when they were younger.

"You seem to enjoy your job."

Robin scoffed, but shook his head. It wasn't some game to enjoy, not with life and death in the palm in his hand. Emmeryn's face flashed briefly in his head, a testament to a greener tactician's failures.

"I enjoy a lot of things. Saving lives most of all."

"Well aren't you the epitome of battlefield inspiration?" Corrin smiled, feeling comfortable around the tactician she had met just a few days before.

"I try. Morale is a resource just like food and water out there. An army without morale is just as poor as an army without weapons."

"I see. I have a lot to learn about that."

"You're proficient in tactics, no? I'm sure you will be fine."

"I can fight a fight, sure... But looking at the big picture? It's scary."

"Have you ever fought in a war?" Robin asked quietly, quivering at the mounting dread that silently arose.

"...I've been preparing all my life for one," Corrin replied after a slow pause, gesturing to her two families swapping words and handshakes below. "A war to kill Hoshidans, to raze crop and castle to the ground. But no longer. Fighting alongside both of them after a lifetime of not even considering a peace? This is amazing. I can't tell you how ready I am for this. How excited I am to be with all of them. And all of you."

Their reverie was interrupted abruptly- a massive dragon of a blinding white and ephemeral green had flown in through the stained glass of Ylisstol Castle and had landed on the ground with a thundering shake. Ylissean, Hoshidan and Nohrian blades were raised in an instant, ready to eviscerate the intruding beast before Lucina suddenly ran in front, waving her hands in despair.

"W-wait! It's Tiki!"

As if on cue, the dragon shape shifted, glowing a bright lime before revealing the form of a woman, graceful and elegant. Lucina realized that while she was very familiar with the manakete, no one else in the room was. A hundred blades still faced her down, paired with resounding silence and the stilled breaths of many.

"The Voice of Naga," she added for clarification, causing the Ylisseans to lower their weapons, some even falling to a knee. Upon seeing this, the Nohrians and Hoshidans too stood down. Tiki nodded and scanned the room quickly, before walking quickly to Chrom. Of course, the Exalt looked quite nervous but a quick reassurance from Lucina told him that things were quite fine. More than fine actually, as the Voice was one of the most beautiful people he had ever-

"Sons of Naga. I come with a request by my asking for a chosen few."

Her voice was as water: so smooth and graceful, yet hiding a terrible and magnificent power within.

Robin and Corrin emerged from the stairwell, the balcony a nightmare to navigate in a hurry. Joining their Shepherds, Tiki seemed to take note of Corrin and nodded slowly.

"A few?" Chrom asked.

"I am aware of what you have to do on the coming journey across the sea. But before that can happen, I must ask a great favor of thee."

"Surely you can wait a few-" Robin was forcibly interrupted by a great gust of wind and Tiki's eyes glowed green with an otherworldly power.

"N-naga!" Lucina muttered, form shifting from kneeling to full-on prostrate.

"Hear me, wielder of Falchions," Tiki's voice was changed, as if two were speaking now. The second voice was overwhelming and reverberating, shaking the walls and windows ever so slightly, but still Tiki's own voice stood strong underneath. Was this what it meant for Tiki to be the 'voice' of Naga? Did Naga herself possess her chosen vessel? "Before you do what must be done, I must ask you help one of my own. Another dragon."

"W-what?" Chrom asked in wonder. "There are more?"

Tiki's face looked... sad, almost. Longing. And Robin couldn't tell if that was her own emotions or the ones of the spirit that possessed her.

"Many more... But less than I wish. I will need eight of you to protect a young dragon that I have not seen since an age before man. The world around her is changing and I fear it will claim the life so unwilling to let go of the past. I can transport you, just as you too took yourselves across time and space to Hoshido and Nohr. Time will stop and upon your safe return your compatriots will not have noticed even a cloud out of the place you remember."

"No time at all?" Lucina spoke, not really as a question but more so a statement of disbelief.

"When you are finished with your task, you will find yourself back here in this very moment. Nothing will have changed- If you are willing, not even you."

"...If you will it."

"What is going on?" Robin wondered to himself. "This seems rather sudden. Can we trust you?"

A small glare from Lucina. Okay, questioning the deity of Ylisse was not okay with the swordsman it seemed. Tiki didn't seem to mind too much, her words now directed at the cautious tactician.

"Fear not. I will keep you safe on this journey as best I can. Your stories do not end here, I can promise you. Do you... will you accept my request?"

"We do. But who among us will go?" Lucina answered, not even giving the others time to consider.

"I have chosen out of you eight. And you," she pointed a finger at Lucina. "Will lead them. Just as you have led others before. I grant all of you the power within me to aid you on your mission."

"We'll do it," Robin agreed. "If it is as you say, our journeys do not end with a little side-tracking. After all, I did ask to see the world, didn't I?"

Chrom laughed, joining Robin as well. "Well, Lady Naga, we are your willing servants. We will do as you ask."

Tiki shook her head.

"You will not be joining them, wielder of my blade. Your heart has not yet endured all of its chosen trials, nor has it felt the flow of time. Your daughter will go in your stead. She has more experience on what I ask of her. She knows what it will take to change fate."

The Exalt looked a little disappointed, but nodded. He knew his role, and he trusted Lucina to do Naga's task for him.

"Very well, I guess. If that's that, happy travels," he said to the group, but mostly to Lucina. The two shared a hug, and with that, time stopped with a shattering of glass.

To the Shepherds all around them, a blink was all it would take and things would continue along their fated path. The Shepherds would go on to save Ylisse from Valm, and to slay the risen Grima above their own soil.

But to the eight who were chosen, the ground beneath them sank. Tiles turned into sand which turned into void and sucked them into an emptiness that was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

As the eight flew across sea and land, space and time, they could hear Naga's voice offer a distant plea.

"Save her. Save little Rhea."

* * *

Remire Forest, 20th Dawn of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180.

* * *

Three young nobles watched in relative disappointment as their chaperone abandoned them to the Remire Woods, bandits hot on his trail.

"And there he goes, the finest rookie professor in Garreg Mach. Do you think the bandits will get him or the wolves?"

"Claude, do take this seriously. We are lost in the woods and now down our only map. We must reunite with the other Knights of Seiros."

"I'll scout ahead then. If I recall, there should be a village somewhere past the woodline. Let's split up and use those magical signals we have if we find shelter."

"Clau- and he's gone. Well... Princess Edelgard, it appears that we must- and I'm talking to no one. Blast, must we really begin our year at the monastery like this?"

* * *

"Are the Captain and the Demon up yet?"

"Haven't seen 'em yet. They must be getting ready still."

"Hmm, they should hurry. It's going to be dawn in a few minutes."

"Cap'n always likes marching at dawn anyway. We've plenty of time."

"Still, the Kingdom's a ways away and the road isn't easy. We'd best start as soon... Does anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shh... swords! And shouting!"

"There. See 'em? In the woodline!"

It was hard to spot, but the Blade Breakers were met with quite a dilemma- a small group of mercenaries of what appeared to be another faction were locked in close combat against run-of-the-mill bandits. They were outnumbered by quite a bit but held their ground quite well. With the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, it was clear to see that it wasn't long before fatigue would tip the scales.

"Bandits in Remire? Someone get the boss-"

"I heard them too," Jeralt announced, grog and sleep still in his eyes. "Let's help them out and see what they've got. Byleth, take your group and flank east- Byleth? Hey, where's the kid? I was just talking to-"

"They're already in the fight," another Blade Breaker called from the other side of the camp. "...found a noble out in the woods. She needed help, so the Demon went alone."

A deep sigh.

"Then we are to follow. If it's a noble and their company, that's a job with pay. Advance! Keep those mercenaries safe."

* * *

"Nothing like a morning fight with bandits to bond with your new allies, huh?" Robin laughed, casting pure lightning from his fingertips instead of his usual tome. "This is so much easier!" The levin sword by his side seemed similar enough, but the tactician was enjoying his new paperless power.

"Focus Robin. Bandits or not these enemies are still deadly with the right amount of bad luck," Lucina warned, back to back with the tactician. Falchion was still by her side, letting out an odd white-blue sheen. Judging by Robin, it appeared magic worked a little different in this world but the weight in Falchion's swing was still the same; Naga's bite was as sharp as ever.

"We have Naga's protection on our side, right?" Corrin called, dancing out of range of a pair of axes and replying with a flurry of attacks from Yato. Like Falchion, Corrin's sword had also let out a pale glow. "Which is good, because my dragonstone isn't working."

"It isn't?" Azura wondered, her lance keeping another bandit at bay. "Does that mean the power of my pendant is gone-"

"Careful there," Laslow warned, a sword sticking out of the back of a brigand inches away from Azura. "Focus on this fight first and then we can see what else changed." He seemed relatively unchanged, but this wasn't his first time hopping worlds. Turning suddenly past Azura, the dancer looked past to another of the Shepherds. "Are you feeling well, milady?"

"It's been ages since I've stretched out my limbs," Tiki announced, pummeling an unfortunate man unconscious with her bare hands. Her dragonstone wasn't working either, and Naga had abandoned control to the Voice's sole will. Still, the manakete was a surprisingly competent martial artist, disarming another axe wielder before picking up the heavy weapon herself, proceeding to go to town on the ones surrounding Azura. "I'm feeling quite nice."

"Brynhildr is still here... yet it isn't," Leo muttered, not as enthusiastic as Robin. Still, he would admit it was nice to have stone and root now bending to his will with a flex of his finger. "The darkness here is truly something else."

"That's because it's not even sunrise," Dimitri replied, staving off his own foe with ease. It wasn't much of a fight than it was a warm-up.

"..."

"It was a poor attempt at a joke. I apologize," the prince bowed, his opponent swiftly dispatched. "Your group is truly remarkable. How have I not heard of your exploits before?"

"It's a long story, Prince," Takumi replied, looking over his bow now that there was a lull in the combat. Fujin Yumi still the same shape as it once was, but instead of shooting bolts of wind, he would have to start carrying arrows. "We're not from here. Our company has traveled... a great distance."

First a battle between Nohr and Hoshido, then Ylisse... and now Fódlan. All in a span of days.

"Not from Fódlan?" Dimitri questioned, quite genuinely impressed.

"Y-yes, beyond Fódlan," the archer replied. "If you have maps... maybe we can find where we are. And where we were."

Their conversation was cut short when two more fighters burst from the trees in a mad sprint. One of them was dressed similar to Dimitri except bearing red instead of blue. The other was a mercenary by the looks of it, donning a coat of black and lightweight armor.

"Edelgard? You're safe! Where's Claude?" Dimitri asked, his worries slightly alleviated.

"He ran off. Who are these, part of your mercenary group?" Edelgard asked to the mercenary next to her.

"I have not seen them before," came her response, dull and flat. As if describing dirt.

"Well, they protected me," Dimitri vouched, smiling and waving at a hand at the eight Shepherds. "I owe them a great debt. Let's find Claude and-"

The woman next to Edelgard sprang forward suddenly, deflecting the mighty blow of a brigand who had sprang from the trees. Her counter wasn't strong and the effort winded her, but the man was knocked back a couple feet and landed on his back with a thud. His lackeys appeared behind him, but they were clearly itching to leave this fight and cut their losses.

"Oi- Kostas, boss... let's get out of here. We can't do the job-"

"No! Just give me one of those noble brats! You'll die!"

Getting up with surprising agility for a man his size, the one called Kostas charged again. Not expecting this renewed attack, none of the Shepherds were close enough to assist and were helpless to watch as the thug ran for Edelgard and brought his axe back for a blow that would surely cleave the small woman in two, even through her dagger's guard.

At least, before the mercenary somehow got underneath the blow, her sword catching the axe by the head and cleaving it right through the wooden haft. Something about her movements seemed a little too rehearsed though- as if she had seen the attack before it had even happened. Even Edelgard looked surprised, and the gaze she gave her savior was both appreciative and admiring.

Events happened one after the other it seemed, as another man on horseback rode in followed by many more mercenaries. These seemed friendly though, so the Shepherds lowered their weapons. From what it looked like, they were part of Edelgard's bodyguard's group.

"Captain Jeralt, they're all on the run. Looks like the other group got them," one of the footmen reported. Jeralt's attention seemed more focus on his daughter though, having caught the maneuver she had pulled on Kostas.

"How did you... Never mind. You okay?"

"Yes," she responded, looking quickly to Edelgard with a flat expression. "Are you?"

"Yes," Edelgard answered, before considering that she was asking Jeralt.

"Well, if that's that, let's move. We'll talk on the road. You there, you're wearing one of those Officer's Academy uniforms. Hmm... Garreg Mach is out of the way of our next job. We would escort you back to the monastery but- Shouldn't you have a knight contingent with you?"

"We lost our professor earlier, before morn," Edelgard replied, glancing quickly at Dimitri before realizing Claude was still missing. "And one of my classmates, it appears."

"Maybe he found Remire Village," Jeralt reasoned, before signalling a couple of his men to return. "Look for stragglers, see if you can find their friend. What's he look like?" Jeralt asked, turning his head back to the red-caped noble.

"He's wearing our uniform, except he's the Alliance heir. He's wearing yellow and is carrying a bow on his person."

"You heard the lady. Find that Alliance noble quick."

Allowing the group a bit of respite from their quick but invigorating fight, Jeralt turned now to Lucina.

"And you. I don't recognize your emblems or your uniforms. Freelancers?"

"Travelers," the Ylissean answered, keeping Takumi's account to Dimitri in her mind. "We're not native to Fódlan and we're looking for a woman named... Never mind."

It would be best not to let their mission slip on loose lip, so Lucina decided it would be best to keep that a secret for now.

"Ah, well I can't help much with that. Jeralt, of the Blade Breakers," he greeted, dismounting and shaking Lucina's hand. "You're an able group. Come to think of it, if you're up for it, you should be the ones to escort these nobles back to the monastery. Are you familiar with the land?"

"No," they muttered in unison.

"Huh. Well, it would save us the trouble. Here," Jeralt reached onto one of his saddlebags, before something else caught his eye. Turning to his daughter, he walked slowly towards the village. "Why don't you show 'em, kid. I think I left something in the inn."

"We haven't been formally introduced," Lucina greeted, shaking hands with the blank-faced mercenary. "Lucina. Your swordwork is impressive."

"Byleth," the woman returned, smiling very slightly. "Your group has been in many battles before. And yet you don't seem familiar with each other."

Robin's eyes widened at Byleth's analysis. She got it right on the nose.

"How'd you figure?"

"I watched."

"...Right," Lucina urged on, pointing back to the map. "Garreg Mach. It looks to be atop this mountain here? In the very center of Fódlan?"

"Correct," Dimitri joined in. "It's a bit of a hike, but if you are willing to escort us back to the Monastery I can see to it that your group will be rewarded handsomely."

"Oh, there is no need for all that," Lucina excused, before being met with Robin's glare. Clearly he was hoping for a good start for their mission, which a handsome reward would have provided. "But if you insist," she added quickly.

"I do. I am the Crown Prince of Faerghus after all. I don't think it would be suspect for the one's who saved me from bandits to receive a Kingdom's sum."

"Likewise," Edelgard joined in. "Your group protected us bravely, despite never meeting us before. I can see to it that the Empire shoulder a portion of the reward as well."

"Really, we just happened to meet you at an opportune moment," Corrin started, before Robin winced again. "B-But it would be greatly appreciated!"

Jeralt returned, slightly worse for wear. He considered mounting up, but let go of the reins and briefed the students on his findings.

"We found your third. And he found someone I'd rather not meet."

"Captain Jeralt! It _is_ you! I thought I saw you skulking about Remire. How has it been, old friend? I thought you were dead! Don't you recognize me? It's me! Alois! Your right-hand man! At least, that's what I recall."

The two Blade Breakers Jeralt sent out and two more strangers joined the party. Dimitri and Edelgard looked pleased to see Claude safe and sound, if not slightly annoyed. Actually, he was probably the safest and soundest considering he didn't encounter any bandits, just the Knights of Seiros. Just like Edelgard had described, he was wearing the Officer's Academy uniform and a simple, yellow cape. His coat was open by the neck, revealing a yellow undershirt beneath. Unlike Dimitri, his trousers were rather baggy, though the boots he wore allowed full mobility despite the lack of form-fitting pants.

The man next to him was stocky, armored in a brilliant silver and bronze plate adorned by a white cape. A leaf-like emblem was visible on it, which led the Shepherds to believe that these were the Knights of Seiros the students were talking about.

"Alois. This day gets more exciting the more time goes by," Jeralt sighed, grasping the arm of his former second without much ceremony.

Alois turned to the Dimitri and Edelgard, sighing in relief. "Thank the goddess we found you safe and sound. Er... where's the professor?"

"He abandoned us at the first sign of trouble," Edelgard answered a bit too quickly. "I find it quite disheartening that he will be leading one of our houses."

"We'll see what Seteth says. And you," he turned to Byleth now, eyeing her up and down before connecting the dots with the shared emblems on their fronts and backs. "You're the Captain's kid?"

Byleth looked to Jeralt quickly before glancing back, shaking her head.

"I'm a bandit."

"..."

"..."

Alois threw his head back, a great guffaw echoing in the otherwise quiet morning. Jeralt shook his head and walked away, leaving Byleth alone with Alois for a few seconds while he let out a tightly lipped breath.

"I knew it! You get your humor from your old man! Aha, she's learned from the best, hasn't she Captain?"

Jeralt looked at Alois sternly, before shaking his head and turning away.

"Drop that Captain nonsense. You probably outrank me now. If that's that, let's be going?" Jeralt urged, saddling up and leading the Blade Breakers towards Faerghus, leaving the three lords and the Shepherds with the Knights of Seiros.

"Ah, farewell Captain."

"..."

"..."

"Wait."

* * *

"Faerghus is rather cold, and our farmland is lacking in quality. Still, our knights our some of the finest in the land, and our hold in the north grants us much advantage staving off dangers from across the land. Our knights are quite busy keeping the continent safe," Dimitri explained, trailing behind the Blade Breakers along with the Shepherds and Byleth.

"Adrestia is the oldest nation on the continent," Edelgard joined in. "Our territories comprise of much of the southern half of Fódlan and our farmland feeds much of the continent." She appeared to be comfortable walking next to Byleth, despite her otherwise colder treatment of Claude and Dimitri. Perhaps because of the little stunt the mercenary had pulled to save her.

"Leicester territory is a bunch of merchants who provide most of Fódlan with resources and goods. We're the smallest 'nation' with the largest pocketbooks." Claude seemed rather content with that and nodded happily to himself. "Edelgard here might say differently, but..."

"I will say differently. The Empire is the backbone of the continent."

"Perhaps you are. We're content being Fódlan's heart and Throat. Haha, geography puns."

Byleth laughed blankly, the mirth reaching her lips for a quick second before dissipating.

"It was a poor joke," she reasoned, "But the effort was humorous."

Edelgard seemed charmed, joining Dimitri in a bit of laughter of her own. "Perhaps you and your father should consider being contracted by the Empire. We could use professionals of your talents."

"Actually, we are on Kingdom business. If it wasn't for the Knights of Seiros, it would be safe to assume we would be on our march to Fhirdiad."

"Kingdom business," Dimitri questioned. "Then perhaps I should be making an offer as well. I've heard exploits of Captain Jeralt from his time in the Knights of Seiros. He is practically a legend in the flesh! The Kingdom would do well to make use of his and your services, Blade Breakers willing..."

"Hello, I am Claude von Reigan, heir to the Alliance. How are you, my lady?" Claude joined in, "Jeez, I thought they taught us manners in Noble-school. Pleasure first, business second, right?"

"...I am Byleth. I'm a mercenary," Byleth replied, matching Claude's sarcasm with her own.

"See? Much more polite. And how about you guys?" Claude asked, calling back to the Shepherds who were gathered slightly behind the nobles and talking among themselves. "You saved His Princeliness too. You should be negotiating your handsome reward."

Robin looked to Lucina who looked to Corrin, nodding simultaneously and picking up the pace to walk alongside the quartet of black-clad fighters.

"We can start with names," Claude suggested. "I hear that's pretty polite."

"I'm Lucina..."

"Lucina what? Do you have titles or lands?" the Riegan heir asked, getting awfully close.

"Well, yes, but..."

"Aha, relax," Claude laughed, stepping away from his inquisitive position. "In Fódlan we usually strap the word _von_ in front of our territory or family name and call it a day. Old Adrestian for 'of' if my history books are right. Makes sense, right? Edelgard of Hresvelg territory, Claude of Riegan territory. Or family, let's not forget that. That's pretty much how most nobles in Fódlan go about naming themselves. Except Kingdom Nobles, for whatever reason."

"It's because we'd rather not associate with Adrestian naming traditions after winning our independence," Dimitri reminded sternly. "For example, I am Dimitri Alexandre Bla-"

"So how about it, Lucina? Are we looking at a Lucina von-oh! I never asked if you're a royal. Are you of prominent stature where you come from? Aha! Your face and clasp say it all. Are we looking at a duchess- or a princess?"

"Claude, you're getting awfully nosy," Edelgard sighed.

"I am very much aware," The Leicester heir replied without concern. "I'm curious is all. 'Princess Lucina.' Sounds about right."

Robin chuckled at Claude's behavior, not considering him much of a threat were they to stay on his genial side. The man was quite insistent but his attentions seemed innocent enough, even if he was bordering on suspicious. It was Dimitri he was more wary of, even after fighting back to back with him. Something just under the surface...

"Well, I suppose I would be of... important stature, but it's not that," Lucina explained. "I know my name well but-"

"We'd rather not reveal where we came from," Takumi finished.

"You are travelers, aren't you? Is it so strange to ask from where? You're not spies sent to investigate Fódlan, are you?" Dimitri wondered.

"No- of course not! Well, I suppose we are acting suspiciously but... well, this is our first time talking to royalty of Fódlan and we don't quite know the right thing to say."

"Archanea," Tiki interrupted, before looking to her companions. "Fear not. Our mission is not in danger by revealing certain truths. Especially from a land so far away from Fódlan as ours."

Edelgard stopped in her tracks, not noticing much of Tiki during the fight. Green hair and pointed ears, not hidden unlike Rhea, Seteth and Flayn... Was she one of those propagators of lies? Was this another cover-up?"

"Y-your ears... and hair. Are they common where you come from? I can't say I've ever heard of Archanea," Edelgard asked, her tone cautious and polite.

"I'm not the trusting type so forgive our... collective rudeness. But Edelgard here is right: I've never seen anyone quite like you before," Claude added. "And I've never heard of Archanea before."

"They are not," Tiki mused. "Not many like me exist anymore. Not in Archanea and not anywhere else, I can imagine. I can in good faith tell you that our homeland doesn't exist on any of your maps."

"_Like_ you," Edelgard narrowed her eyes, ignoring the quip about her homeland for now.

"Like us," Corrin joined in, positive as ever and not discerning Edelgard's suspicions. "I'm also a-"

Tiki rose a hand to Corrin's mouth, smiling darkly and gazing through her more naive companion. Edelgard stared too, noticing the pointed ears of the off-white-haired swordsman. Her eyes weren't green, not like Tiki or Rhea. But still...

A half-breed of those beasts. Perhaps Tiki's daughter?

"..."

"I can imagine the road has been rough," Edelgard changed the subject, lessening the tension slightly. "Especially without shoes."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Corrin laughed nervously. "I'm... used to it."

"I've a friend who'd be delighted to meet you," Claude joined, his smile ever so present on his face. "He likes... shoes. Or rather the things inside them... I... shouldn't say much more than that."

"Well, we are almost there," Dimitri interrupted, rather perturbed by Claude's description. "Look past the trees."

The party collectively gazed past the row of trees to the mighty fortress encompassing the horizon beyond.

"Whoa," Lucina breathed, astonished at Garreg Mach's size and position among the small mountain. "That's the Monastery? All the monasteries from Archanea are... humble."

"Garreg Mach isn't just the center of Fódlan," Claude explained. "It's the _Center_ of Fódlan."

"Kingdom, Alliance and Imperial royalty gather every year. It sets friendships and relationships that transfer into the political court, trade relations, even marriages. That sort of large scale business. Church officials from across Fódlan convene here to discuss ongoing issues. If the Empire is the backbone and the Alliance is the heart... well, Garreg Mach is the head."

"It really is Fódlan in a nutshell," Claude agreed. "The good and the bad."

"Well, like it or not," Edelgard continued, her gaze ever-forward, "We'll be there soon."

* * *

It took a while to march the path to Garreg Mach but once they did, farewells were briefly exchanged and the party began to go their separate paths. A tall gate stood before them, and the gatekeeper quickly took account of who was entering among the party.

"Consider my offer," Edelgard requested to Byleth, shaking her hand and bowing to the mercenary. "I'd be honored to meet you again if fate allows. Thank you- I... hope to meet you again soon."

"Likewise. I will talk more with you inside if you've the time," Dimitri added, bowing as well. "And to you, Archaneans, was it? Expect a healthy reward for your actions. You have my gratitude, friends."

"Farewell for now," Claude spoke solemnly, but then lightening up with a twinkle in his mischievous eyes. "You know, there's going to be a feast to celebrate the beginning of the Academic Year. You should sneak in and sit with us Golden Deer. Not with those two stiffs," he added with a smirk.

"A feast sounds lovely," Corrin nodded. "I say we join, if the Monastery allows us."

"Oh they will," Jeralt joined in, nodding to Byleth. "The Church spares no expense on extravagance and ceremony." Taking Byleth aside, Jeralt led his daughter away from earshot.

"Rhea."

"Who?"

"I haven't the time to explain, Rhea's still in charge. I don't know what she plans to do with us here but... don't trust her. Got it?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow... but I understand," Byleth responded sharply and nodding in confirmation. Without a word, she and Jeralt circled back to the main group.

"Follow us," Jeralt ordered to both the Shepherds and Blade Breakers, leading them inside the courtyard.

Many more students and knights were to be seen walking about, the former wearing uniforms similar if not identical to the ones the three lords had worn. The Knights were more varied, some were clearly mages, others archers, others masters of beasts. All had a small leaf-like emblem on their shoulder or chest. Many heads turned, and the older ones even appeared to recognize Captain Jeralt.

"This is exactly what I didn't want to happen," Jeralt muttered, entering the reception hall first alongside Alois.

"Just wait a second here Captain," Alois bowed, knocking on the door and entering a stairway. Jeralt took the time to take a seat, letting the Blade Breakers know that they weren't needed and to wait outside.

"The cafeteria should still be here," he added. "Get yourselves some chow for a long day ahead of us. I have a feeling we'll need it."

* * *

Byleth and Jeralt came downstairs, the former looking rather surprised given her normal state, the latter looking plain tired.

"You're up next, kids," the Captain relayed with a yawn. "This old dog is going to grab some food."

"Please, this way," a tall man instructed, green hair covering his ears and most of his jawline. Blue robes and an administrative cape completed the getup, and Robin was reminded of his very first day in the Shepherds, thinking this man and Frederick to be kindred spirits. "I am Seteth. An advisor to the Archbishop. She desired a particular interest on meeting you."

The Shepherds began their walk, but Seteth raised a hand. His eyes were locked with Tiki's.

"Just her. For now. Is that alright?"

A slow nod from everyone, and Tiki disappeared behind the door to the stairwell.

Up the stairs they went, entering what seemed to be an audience chamber. Seteth took his place next to a woman Tiki imagined was the Archbishop. Like Seteth, she had lighter green hair and her eyes were a mesmerizing ocean of teal and-

"I was hoping my vision was not deceiving me," she began, her voice so calm and... immaculate. "When I saw those ears... and that green hair..."

Tiki stammered, not quite sure how to address the archbishop.

"I'm afraid I don't know-"

"It's quite alright, my child. I know. I know all too well why you are here."

"You do?"

"But of course! Another of my mother's lost children... returning home."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Tiki said with a shake of her head.

"It is true that we have been separated by time and tragedy," Seteth joined in. "But surely after your long slumber you remember _some_ remnant of Zanado?"

"I'm not what you think I am," Tiki explained. "I am merely an envoy. A servant of one similar to... you."

"You need not worry, dear one. I can see in your eyes and your face that you are like us. And your companions, have they escorted you this way?"

"They have. But please, Archbishop..."

"It's just Rhea. To you, I am just Rhea."

Tiki's eyes widened, kneeling quickly.

"You kneel when I say my name, but not to my title?" Rhea laughed. "How curious indeed. What is your name?"

"T-tiki, Archbishop Rhea. I come on behalf of someone I think you might remember."

"Ah, so you are a scion. Just like little Cethleann," Rhea seemed rather overjoyed. "I'm assuming you are here on behalf of your mother?"

"Yes. Naga sent me. And the seven others with me."

This time Rhea's eyes opened wider, along with Seteth.

"I feared she perished at the Red Canyon. To hear of her survival... of her escape?"

"...You know her?" Tiki asked, amazed to know her mother had kin.

"I knew many others," Rhea responded solemnly. "But to hear of one's survival- it brings me great joy. But the others that disappeared with her, what of them? Duma, Mila? Anankos?"

"I'm afraid Mila and Duma grew mad two-thousand years ago. They entrusted man to... end their suffering. To grant them rest. Of Anankos I do not know, nor have I heard that name."

"I did not know them well," Rhea said after a pause. But Mila and Duma rest. Does anything remain?"

"Anything remain?" Tiki repeated, unsure of what Rhea was asking.

"Did mankind... respect their bodies?"

"A Great Tree grows over their grave. I dwell there," Tiki explained. "It is revered by man as a place of repentance and faith."

"I see. So they rest peacefully, never to be awoken again," Rhea said, almost relieved. "Mankind must have some semblance of hope then."

"They do."

"Well then, little Tiki. Your mother sent you here for a reason. Shall I ask why?"

Tiki nodded, her stance finally finding itself and her posture strong and straight.

"We are to protect you, Lady Rhea. A great danger comes upon you. My mother sent us here to protect both Fódlan... and you."

* * *

The Shepherds joined Tiki in the audience hall, relieved to see her well and seemingly unrattled.

"Come, children of Naga," Rhea greeted, looking to Lucina and Laslow. "Of Anankos," she added for Leo, Takumi, Azura and Corrin. Opening her arms wide, her smile was more in her eyes than her mouth. "I welcome you to Fódlan. And to Garreg Mach Monastery."

Azura widened her eyes, not expecting to hear the name of Valla's dragon. Takumi and Leo seemed surprise for a different reason: that wasn't a name they've heard before.

"Y-you know..." the songstress whispered.

"I know the fate that all who suffer eternity face," Rhea solemnly spoke, her eyes gazing into the heavens even through her stone ceiling. "But enough of that. I hear you are here on behalf of your goddess. To protect me?"

"You are Rhea?" Lucina asked. "-Er, Archbishop Rhea, that is?"

"I am," Rhea replied with a smile. "Such a sweet strong girl. I smell our blood within you. You bear our blessings."

"She bears a crest?" Seteth wondered.

"She does. But this one was given freely, wasn't it?" Rhea asked, looking to both Laslow and Lucina. "Naga was kind to bless your blood with her power."

"Naga did," Lucina replied. "It has helped us maintain peace on the continent for thousands of years."

"And you," the Archbishop turned to Robin. "I smell a different scent upon you."

"Y-you do? I didn't know I was-"

"It is a foul one," Rhea dismissed, but her impassive gaze turned soft. "But it was against your will. You did not want to live a life that was asked of you."

"This is very new," Robin admitted. "D-do you know me?"

"I'm afraid not. But your blood has power akin to ours. Respect it and use it for the good of Fódlan. Even a blessing can be a curse, but so too can a curse be a blessing."

Rhea turned now to Azura and Corrin, looking at the pendant and then to Corrin's ears.

"Anankos' blood runs strong through you," she smiled. "He always did have odd hair compared to us," she mused, feeling Azura's long locks before backing away quickly. The dancer seemed unfazed, though her shoulders were visibly clenching.

"..."

"He was a solitary one. I'm surprised to hear he bore offspring."

"He didn't," Azura corrected. "I am a direct descendant of one who bore his blood. But I am just a human."

"But I sense-"

"That would be her," Azura pointed to Corrin, who looked shocked at the revelation.

Rhea let out a laugh, wiping her eyes quite genuinely.

"Forgive my mistake," she insisted, holding Corrin's hands in her own. "You share his strong red eyes."

"Y-you knew about me?" Corrin asked, not to Rhea but to Azura.

"I know far more than I wish," Azura replied mysteriously. "It was a burden I carried alone for many years."

"Some secrets are powerful weapons," Rhea spoke, reciting one of Seiros' proverbs. "But secrets are often shields as well, protecting others from harm. Know this well, young dragon."

"...I will keep that in mind."

"Now then, I do believe we have business to attend to."

Seteth nodded, retrieving a clipboard and a quill.

"If you are to be protecting me," Rhea began, looking rather pleased with herself, "Either you will join the inner circle of the Knights of Seiros... or you enroll in the Academy. You are all young and strangers to Fódlan; I'm sure you can figure which is less suspicious. And if I may, I think I have a rather nice plan."

* * *

Garreg Mach Training Grounds, 20th Dusk of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"House Leader Lucina Lowell, Age 19," Byleth began, reading off the names to her roster.

"Present." Lowell was, according to the records anyway, the name Marth bore so many years ago. It was better than 'Lucina von Ylisstol,' in any case.

"Robin... no last name? Age 20,"

"Present. Never had one, Professor."

"Corrin von Gyges, Age 20."

"Present."

"Azura von Gyges, Age 21," Byleth read, going back and forth between Corrin and Azura. She never would have guessed they were related.

"Present." Gyges was the old castle in Valla where Azura was born. She thought that'd be a fitting territory considering... well, she didn't want to risk setting off the Vallite curse on their new professor. Even if they were worlds away.

"Laslow Lowell, Age 19."

"Present," Laslow answered. Funny, Lucina was more than a year older than him but thanks to time travel shenanigans and his travels in Nohr, he had caught up in birthdays with his older sister.

"Leo von Windmire, Age 17."

"Present." Leo thought it was clever of him to use the Nohrian capital for his last name, considering 'von Garon' didn't quite have the right ring to it.

"Takumi Shirasagi, Age 17."

"Present. Nice pronunciation," he added.

"Thanks. And Tiki. Age... unknown? No last name either?"

"Sorry if that's an inconvenience. I'm not sure of them." Tiki laughed to herself. A couple thousand years and you stop counting. And 'Tiki von World Tree' was not exactly a charming option.

"No, it's quite alright. My father forgets sometimes too. Or he's too lazy to remember."

Byleth went down the list one more time, making sure she got all eight of the students she had correctly. More would be coming, Rhea assured, but they weren't to be officers at the academy, just normal knights or lower-ranking students not in the Officer's Academy program.

"Anyway. I am Byleth Eisner, the instructor of your house for this year. Lady Rhea wanted me to be a Professor at the Monastery by personal request. I have no idea why but I think it will be a good experience for all of us. I've been instructed to help the eight of you learn just like the other three houses here. Speaking of... she asked that we come up with a name, preferably an animal that means a lot to your history as a people. And a color that isn't blue, yellow, or black. Something about becoming the fourth house."

"Fourth house?" Lucina asked, thinking about Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude suddenly.

"They want to know what color the carpet would be when they complete construction of the new classroom."


	2. Four Houses

Garreg Mach Mess Hall, 20th Evening of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Okay let's try this. If we lead with our attacking unit, say here... and boom: two powerful yet rapid attacks at different angles. With that, the rear can step forward to handle any counters in case the target is still on their feet while the vanguard repositions behind them. Pairing up combines the agility of a single unit with the durability and versatility of a small squad."

"So in the case of you and Corrin, a wide-covering magic attack following a quicker and more precise sword strike, covering the partner while they follow up."

"Precisely. You catch on quick, Professor. You've a good eye for this."

"Sound strategy tends to make sense," Byleth complimented with a approving glance to her two students. "I can tell you have performed these drills many times before. What do you think Father? Personally, I think a field-adjutant in a healing or even defending role will prove better in a standing force that doesn't have the command element to rehearse drills of these intensities. Then an attack-adjutant in position to..."

Byleth, Corrin, Robin and Jeralt all occupied a corner in the training grounds, sticks drawing formations in the dirt as they went about their own versions of battlefield squad maneuvering. On the other side of the makeshift room, Lucina and Laslow went about practicing sword drills while Leo and Takumi clashed in a bitter rivalry of a spar. Azura and Tiki rested on the outskirts, not quite as hardy as the others yet and still winded from their own session of practicing; Azura's pendant and Tiki's dragonstone were both non-functional, crippling both of their potential as fighters. At least Corrin was a wild swordsman at heart.

"Your stratagem solid, kid. I see this being very practical in tight forest or valley scenarios and especially the constrained hallways of indoor or castle infiltration. I'll have to give this a test run on the open fields though. I'm not too sure pairing up is ideal for wide spaces, as you compromise a lot of area for a minimal benefit," Jeralt critiqued, nodding at the young tacticians his daughter was lecturing.

"Your praise is much appreciated, Captain Jeralt," Robin said with a bow. "And you too, Professor. I... we will have much to learn in the coming months, won't we?"

"Plenty to cover, plenty to improve," Byleth assured. "But there is much that has already been forged in combat- I can tell the difference between your theory and your experience. It is clear you have used this formation many times before."

The tactician's eyes met the mercenary's in admiration, ignoring both Princess and Knight for a beat. Clearly, Robin was beyond thrilled on chancing upon a mind like Byleth's.

"You must've put her through the paces quite vigorously, Captain," Robin whistled. "Professor Byleth reads me like a tactics primer."

"Oh please, don't start with that," Jeralt moaned, "I will not have a young buck like you start pulling rank. I may be a Captain again, but I won't like being reminded of that fact."

"Father, you are a Knight of Seiros," Byleth advised. "You should be treated as such."

"...Kid. Ugh. Well, a knight loves patrolling, and evidently that's what my evening is slated for. I'll leave your class to it then," the Blade Breaker said with a half-bow. "Keep them busy, Byleth. I'm expecting some mutton and a hearty ale waiting for me at the banquet."

As he walked away, Robin gazed down at the ground while Corrin tried to formulate some other adjutant formations in her head. Byleth shot a quick glance to the others before looking at the setting sun and deciding on calling them in.

"Alright, let's gather around the table. I am told that on a normal day, class would resume until the evening bells. Today will be different, as I remember there's going to be a special feast to celebrate the school year. I was told to expect Advisor Seteth here within the next few minutes to provide some supplemental materials for our stay here at Garreg Mach."

At that, Lucina and Laslow both stowed their swords on the training weapon rack, the former swinging her shoulders to feel for stiffness and the latter looking around at the rest of the class. Azura picked up her lance from the wall, replacing the wooden trainer in her hands, while Tiki seemed to have caught her breath from her training session just a few minutes before.

"I'll be honest with you Professor," Lucina admitted. "My mind still cannot fathom that we are all here together despite just meeting today. I suppose it's a blessing that I could finally go to school. A younger me would have complained incessantly."

"Too true," Leo joined in. "There is a lot to be gained from our time here, circumstances aside." The Nohrian made no effort to instigate Takumi, instead looking more to Corrin and Robin. "Growing up, I was assigned tutors but never had the opportunity to learn in a group class." Azura, Takumi and Corrin nodded in agreement. Clearly the noble life left a little of the humble lifestyle to be wanted.

"We'll get plenty of chances to gauge and assess our growth," Byleth assured, before turning her head suddenly with a start. Corrin and Tiki did too, surprising the other members of the class.

"Hmm? Professor, do you..."

"Oh, nothing to fear. I hear footsteps outside."

At that very moment, Seteth entered the grounds, nine large parcels in his grasp. Deliberate strides paired with an imposing figure resulted in the advisor clearing the distance from the wall to the class within a few steps. He dropped the packages carefully at Byleth's table, nodding to himself before dusting off his legs.

"These will, for the time being, be your class uniforms, at least for the assembly and the feast tonight. Maybe even the surprise event soon coming. By the end of this week, your class will have properly tailored uniforms of the Officer's Academy. These are spares but I assure you they fit just as well as anyone else's. If anything should arise, I'll task a seamstress to your class so that we can avoid embarrassing ourselves in front of our largest donors. That is all. I expect everyone to be properly dressed by the time of the feast. Professor, please show them to their assigned quarters. House Leader, please make sure your house is aptly prepared for tonight."

"Much appreciated, Advisor. I'll see to it," Lucina affirmed with a nod, and Seteth took that as sufficient and left the room promptly.

"Well, I can't say I've ever worn a school uniform before," Corrin began, pulling out a simple black coat and pleated dress. Brass trim lined the arms and collar of the outer coat, and a white shirt with matching designs served as an underlying layer for warmer weather. "But I can get used to this."

"Looks a little tall for me. Azura, I think this one should be yours," Lucina suggested, giving the songstress the longest set. Socks and shoes almost fell out of the paper package, deftly caught by the dancer as well.

"Are you sure they're all the same? Well, Seteth did say they were all spares so that would make sense," Tiki mused, answering her own question.

"I saw other students with some... creative liberties on their uniform. What's the decision, Professor?" Leo asked. "I have a disdain for collars and these uniforms are rank with them." For emphasis, the Nohrian made an effort to discern the black fabric with the inner lining material.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Byleth admitted. "I saw two students wearing hoods, and a number of the males decided to forget the top buttons of the coat existed. Not to mention it looks like there are summer, winter, fall and spring variants of the uniform that are free to be worn whenever a student so pleases. For now, try not to stand out. These uniforms all appear to be the same anyway, so no effort will be needed. Next week, I'll chat with the other professors and I will allow you to put your own flair in your normal uniform if I deem you have earned that privilege."

"Privilege?" Azura asked.

"There are the Golden Deer, Black Eagles, and Blue Lions. We will see to it that our house is superior to all of them."

"Ah, competition. I suppose that would be a likely thing here," Robin chuckled. Oh, he did enjoy the thrill of superiority every now and then.

"Do understand that I am not willing to risk my recent acceptance by the Archbishop because one of my students added a little too much flair to their uniform," Byleth explained.

"It's completely understandable," Robin agreed. "We'll do our part for you, Professor."

Once the sets were handed out, Byleth led the eight to their dormitories right next to the training grounds.

"For reasons of her own, the Archbishop wanted me to board here instead of at the Academy apartments, so here is my room. Don't confuse it as a students', even though it's next to... Dedue's, it looks like. I should be here most of the time if we're not in class. If you need anything that I can help don't hesitate to knock. Now then..."

Byleth felt her pockets, finding a key to unlock the gate next to her quarters. There, past the gate was a a narrow corridor leading up a small flight of stairs. Byleth left the gate unlocked, stowing away the key for good.

"Seteth tells me that you will be taking over some of the old knight trainee dormitories. They are of similar size and luxury as the other students' so if any of you feel uncomfortable or constrained, please let me know. As you can see, just past this door are the other dormitories for the nobles at the Academy so you aren't too separated. Seeing as there are eight of you, I've decided against assigning your rooms and will leave that to you. Understand that they are all the same, but those of you who prefer a nice view of the wall via second floor view should vie for it quickly There is a washroom on each floor, so clean yourselves up and meet me downstairs in about twenty minutes."

"Yes Professor," the class responded, some of the words not comfortably coming out of the Shepherds' mouths but any complaints were unnoticed.

As the eight shuffled up and across the small gateway, Byleth let out a little sigh.

'I hear children across the world despise the first day of school.'

The professor looked around wildly, before sighing at the voice in her head.

'Sothis. I apologize if I'm nervous. I haven't done this before and I would not like to disappoint the people who have trusted in me.'

'Well aren't you lucky then? Half of your students are seasoned mercenaries! The other half are... competent. Just imagine if you had to choose between those Three Houses you interviewed earlier? It seems half of them have come from lives of tragedy, not lives of nobility.'

'It would be more difficult, I agree.'

'Still, you have your work cut out for you nonetheless, and I do not pity you one bit. I for one desire a brief respite. Why don't we both take a nap?'

Byleth nodded in fatigue, opening her own door for the first time, peeking into the room. It was a simple one just the same as everyone else, with a plain white carpet and a sturdy desk and shelf that consisted of her study. There would be plenty of sunlight filtering through her windows every morning, and a bed... finally, a bed.

'You seem pleased.'

'I've never had an actual bed to call my own. I've never had to do laundry, and never had to-'

'Yes yes, all of this is novel to you. Are you a child discovering everything for the first time? Come now, let us rest our tired eyes and hide away.'

Byleth nodded, taking off her shoes and plopping face-first into her bed. Strange, she heard screaming.

'...is this your form of a joke?! You still have dried blood and dirt all over those stockings of yours! Ew! EW!'

The Professor quickly stood up, apologizing to the little demon in her head and opening the Academy outfit Rhea had given her via Seteth. Like the other ladies in her class, it was a simple skirt and coat, though the linings were a cold silver instead of brass. Unlike some of the students, a cape accompanied her uniform and there was even a matching headband and officer's cap in the box as well. Washing her less-than-clean body thoroughly, Professor Byleth emerged freshly changed, looking the part of an instructor at a prestigious academy instead of a hunter who had just slept inside a carcass.

'I can't whistle, but know that I am. Your body is quite muscular and toned for one of your stature.'

'I often see myself fighting for my life and chasing down bandits.'

'Grim, but logical. I can tell you're in rather excellent physical condition. Your fashion tastes are... not.'

'We never had a seamstress in the Blade Breakers. I just learned to run in broken-heeled boots and punctured leggings, patching holes with more black cloth.'

'A wonder you survived this long in heels. Then again, you do fight like a demon. Is that where your name comes from?'

'No.'

Byleth put her wet hair against her pillow for a few minutes, breathing in the quiet peaceful air of the Monastery.

She never was one for many comforts but... this was nice.

Within a few blinks of her tired eyes, minutes had passed. Feeling the sunlight fade rapidly outside her window, she opened her door to find most of the students ready to move. Two were missing, prompting her to look past them towards the stairs.

"Takumi and Azura have monstrous hair. They'll be out shortly," Corrin explained with a small smile, imagining her friend and brother fretting over the uniform with their immense locks in the way. Nodding in approval, Byleth took the time to look her students over, satisfied with the result. Corrin even put on shoes, and her discomfort showed. The Princess met her eye and looked down as well.

"I hate it, I'll be the first to let you know Professor. I really hate it," she voiced, not at all liking this new imposed code. "Oh, but you're looking quite sharp yourself."

"It's a uniform of the Officer's Academy Faculty," Byleth explained. "On ceremonies and other important days, most of your instructors will be wearing this. As I am under the watchful gaze of Seteth constantly, every day will be an important day."

"The hat looks a bit much," Robin admitted.

"I've never worn headgear," Byleth agreed, tossing the hat back into her room and adjusting her hairband to compensate. Seeing their professor adjust her bangs was quite charming and odd, prompting Lucina to ask a pointed question.

"Uh, Professor... I truly do not mean to be rude but you look just as old as we are."

"That's because I am. I think."

"You think?" Lucina repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know my exact age- my father never really told me, but I've been recalling flashes of my own memories for more than twenty years. Maybe more, maybe less."

"Most people just... know their age. But it's not odd," Robin agreed. "I kinda guessed my age on the Academy form too."

"You look around everyone else's age," Corrin reasoned. "And we're not official students. We're not going to be the next leaders of Fódlan nor are we Fódlan royalty. I'm sure we're not as important as everyone else here."

"I disagree," a voice spoke out. Rhea walked among the students, smiling lightly as she always did.

"Archbishop! Uh," Lucina stammered, bowing suddenly. This only caused Rhea to laugh, and a hearty one it was.

"Please, sweet girl, no need for such formalities. You are my guests here in this sacred place. A simple hello would be sufficient from now on. Not to mention quite lovely."

"Y-yes, good evening Archbishop," the Princess attempted, not liking how rubber her tongue was feeling.

"Hello Professor," Rhea greeted Byleth now, her eyes piercing ever so gently into Byleth's domain. "I must have a good eye for dimensions. That uniform fits you quite well."

"It does," Byleth agreed. "I am fond of the cape. I've never worn a cape."

Rhea smiled again, ever so radiant and calming. "I am glad to see all of you making yourselves at home. Especially you, Professor. I will be very excited to see your class at the banquet tonight. I'm afraid I must go to foresee the last of the preparations." With that, the Archbishop gave a slight curtsy, folding her hands once more below her chest as she gracefully floated down the stairs with nary a bounce.

"She seems to like you a lot already, Professor," Laslow mused. "A teaching job, special treatment-"

"Ini-Laslow, please," Lucina warned with a stern look. The brother shrugged, pardoning himself with a simple and silent shrug.

"I'm not so sure myself. I can't quite bring myself to trust her yet, if I'm being realistic. Still, the Archbishop is trusting me with you eight, not to mention the other students here. It would dishonor me to not do my best," Byleth replied, her voice even and honest.

"It was a thoughtless comment, please pay it no mind," Laslow apologized. "I meant no harm."

"It is quite all right," Byleth answered with a simple nod. "It is only our first day. Perhaps she is this pleasant with everyone else too."

"I never considered that," Laslow admitted. "I ought to keep my mouth shut."

"Only when hot air is coming out," Lucina chided. Her insults were to be followed if not for the archer and the songstress that joined them. Takumi's hair was neatly tied, solely due to the fact that hair of his length required six hair ties to keep in a uniform ponytail. Azura wasn't so lucky, her watery locks following the gentle lines of her uniform all the way down to her knees. It must have taken this whole time to comb and wash, let alone prepare for a banquet.

"We really must tie this up," Corrin whispered.

"I would never!" Azura replied, feigning offence. "...I really must. This will prove disastrous with so many people around."

"As long as it doesn't get in my food tonight. Regardless, you look wonderful," Laslow smiled. "I mean that in a perfectly sincere way-"

"It's appreciated, truly," Azura laughed, nodding to the professor. "And you're looking quite nice yourself, Professor. I didn't realize that last parcel was for you."

"The Archbishop gave me one of the other professor's spares," Byleth explained. "Apparently there's another woman here who shares a similar build to mine."

"Highly unlikely," Takumi whispered under his breath, causing Robin to nod and laugh. Byleth had certain assets that simply weren't common in a famine-struck land such as Ylisse. Maybe Fódlan had... healthier children.

"Now that we're all assembled, I say we make our way to the reception hall."

* * *

Garreg Mach Reception Hall, 20th Night of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Esteemed guests, children of Fódlan. Welcome once more to Garreg Mach Monastery."

The reception hall had been repurposed- the benches traded for tables, the chandeliers lit. The tiles shone like stars, reflecting the flickering candles above. Imperial, Kingdom and Alliance nobles dined next to and across from each other, and the students sat as the center of attention right in front of Rhea and her entourage. The Blue Lions and the Black Eagles sat on one half of the room, with Professor Byleth's class and the Golden Deer on the other. The remaining students surrounded the more 'important' ones, numbering in total to about fifty young men and women in Officer's Academy uniforms. It was partially due to this fact that even Azura or Tiki blended in somewhat with the more subtle crowd.

"It pleases me to see so many familiar faces here today. And it pleases me more to see so many new ones," she continued, offering a kind gaze to the students especially. "This year will be a truly special year among our own. Princess von Hresvelg, Prince Blaiddyd, Lord Riegan, would you please stand for us?"

The three house leaders did, bowing graciously to the applauding body of lords and ladies of the court.

"Three future leaders sharing the same monastery. This will be the first time many of us here would have seen anything of this level of importance, is it not?" Chattering immediately filled the hall, and Rhea nodded at the sight. "Know this, people of the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance; What happens this year could very well shake the future of Fódlan itself. Know that we will spare no effort to honing these young children to be the finest leaders we can make them, nay- we shall guide them to be the finest images of themselves that they can be. We thank you all for your continued patronage to the Church. May you all have a lovely meal and a wonderful stay at Garreg Mach."

With that, Rhea disappeared, leaving the students relatively out of prying eyes as the nobles were too busy gussying each other up.

Of course, Claude made good on his word, seeing that his Golden Deer were seated right next to Byleth's group from the very beginning.

"So it's _Professor_ Byleth now, huh? I should've known with you asking around for each class like a woman bent on pursuit. Well, I am quite impressed that you can teach here! I'm quite interested to having you sub for our class every now and then."

"I was actually going to sit next to Princess Edelgard," Byleth excused, getting up and moving. "Excuse me."

"Now wait-"

"You're so rude, Claude," Hilda scolded with a light smirk. "Let our poor Professor eat! She's been starving after saving your hide in the woods."

"Hey, let's not get our facts mixed up. She saved _Edelgard_. Not me."

"It's Princess Edelgard," Lorenz corrected, "Please do not embarrass us in front of the _entire_ world." Claude had half a mind to throw his food at the pomp and circumstance aristocrat, but his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sight.

"Hey, isn't that..."

"Hello, Lord Claude," Corrin greeted, having switched seats with Byleth. Her crimson eyes caught his green ones while she was walking to her new seat, inspiring an awkward stare from both. "Thank you so much for inviting us to the feast. Consider the Allilance's part of the payment fulfilled," she added with a cheer of her chalice.

"You're... quite welcome," the Alliance lord trailed off, just now recognizing Corrin's tablemates. Not exactly sure how she got herself in an authentic set of Academy uniform, Claude's interest was certainly piqued. "It's wonderful to see you... eating among us," he replied carefully, not wanting to split any more attention to the mercenaries than necessary.

"Do you know them, Claude? I don't recognize them," Hilda observed, keeping her voice low.

"They're part of Professor Byleth's group," Claude half-lied. "They were there when the three of us got into trouble."

"Claude wasn't in trouble," Corrin laughed. "But he was getting quite persistent interrogating Princess- I mean Lucina... ah damn it."

"It's quite alright," Lucina joined in, nodding to the Golden Deer next to her. "Greetings Claude. I am pleased to see you again."

"The feeling is quite mutual, milady," Claude replied, his suspicions growing by the minute. Lucina was also wearing the same uniform as Corrin. Why?

"Is something the matter?" Lucina asked, her stare not as intense as Corrin.

"No, no. I just forget faces when they're wearing different things."

"Ah, you must be talking about this," Lucina said, feeling her jacket with her left hand fingertips. "I am quite found of the material and the design. It was a gift from the Archbishop and Advisor so we wouldn't look out of place at the ceremony tonight. You did after all invite us to it."

"That I did," Claude realized, not quite buying Lucina's reasoning but having no reason to continue rejecting it. "I'm glad you accepted our humble invitation."

"We are glad to be here. So, who are your classmates? I am not acquainted with them." She gestured with a shoulder to Lorenz, who immediately brightened up in countenance and face.

"I am Lorenz Hellman-"

"That over there is Lorenz, heir to a large portion of Alliance territory and influence," Claude introduced, much to Lorenz' chagrin. However, the purple-haired student found the introduction satisfactory.

"I was half-expecting an insult," Lorenz admitted. "Claude gave the truncated version, mind you."

"No need for insults when your hair does it for you," Claude retorted. "Come now Lorenz, we're at a banquet. I was hoping you would make yourself presentable."

"Why I-

Lucina laughed, an innocent one that did nothing but infuriate Lorenz further. "It's wonderful to meet you Lorenz. I'm sure there's more to you than Claude will admit."

"...The pleasure is mine, my lady. At least some of us have manners."

The Princess met that with a small smile, now gesturing to the pink-haired student by Claude's side.

"And here's the lovely Hilda."

"...Is that her name? Or a nickname-"

"Hilda Valentine Goneril," Hilda finished, not thanking Claude for letting her introduce herself. "My brother is a renowned general in the Alliance army."

"A general?" Lucina responded with a surprised look. "Impressive."

"It is! And he maintains the Eastern Border. Me? I'm just a student. A delicate flower in the Officer's Academy."

"Oh, don't believe a single word about that," Claude groaned. "She could probably throw Prince Dimitri to the ceiling if she wanted to."

"Which I do not," Hilda complained. "My poor back would never forgive me."

"Border guarding is tricky business," Corrin stated, leading back to the original conversation.

"Gotta keep those outsiders out, right?" Claude egged on, curious on what Lucina and Corrin would say.

"Well when your neighbors are the Almyrans, there really isn't much choice," Lorenz bit. "At least Princess Edelgard has good relations with _her_ neighbors. Faerghus, not so much but they did not instigate."

"Ah yes, the outside world. So brash and grating to us Fódlan folk," Claude sighed. "What of you, Lu- Princess, Lucina? Ah, I knew I was right earlier. What do you think of aggressive neighbors?"

"Is it customary Fódlan habit to discuss politics over a nice dinner?" Corrin interjected, saving the flustered Lucina. Claude and Lorenz shared a knowing glance, their goals aligned for the time being.

"But of course, Lady Corrin."

"Princess," she corrected.

"Princess Corrin. Hm, that doesn't sound quite right, but what do I know?" Claude droned. "Why don't you tell us more about where you eight came from?"

* * *

"Hubert, this is Byleth," Edelgard introduced the new Professor with a gentle smile. "You spoke to her briefly this afternoon but I suppose this is your first official encounter."

"You have my gratitude for this morning," Hubert greeted with a half-bow. "You kept her Highness safe when that poor excuse of a professor could not. Ah, this business of replacing him is vexing but I do believe we will have our substitute soon."

"Speaking of, you are a new professor here, aren't you?" Edelgard asked, ignoring her food for the time being. "It would be lovely to have you teach the Black Eagles, if you are still looking around."

"The Archbishop made it clear that I will not be teaching a House," Byleth explained. "She already has three professors chosen for that role. I apologize if my searching this morning led you on- the Archbishop was using that as an oppurtunity for me to get more familiar with everyone in the Monastery." Edelgard appeared dejected at this news, obviously hoping to keep Byleth close by.

"Oh, so our missive did arrive on soft ears," Hubert mused. "I was believing the Archbishop ignored our original request to replace the novice professor. You wouldn't have happened to meet the other three professors, did you?"

Byleth stopped for a quick second, her eyes then brightening up.

"I did, actually. Professor Hanneman will be teaching the Blue Lions, Professor Manuela will be teaching the Golden Deer. I will just be the Combat Professor for the Monastery."

Word was already spreading about the fourth house, but Byleth was under orders from Seteth to not reveal anything until tomorrow.

"And how about us?" Edelgard asked curiously. "Who will teach us?"

"The Black Eagles will be taught by Professor Jeritza under recommendation of the Empire. Do you know him?"

* * *

"So hand to hand grappling is a valid fighting style here," Robin observed, his neighbors having briefed him on the essentials of Fódlan's many combat styles once Robin noted how one of Dimitri's friends held his steak knife in an icepick grip.

"See, Boar. This one gets it," Felix said with a nod.

Robin had found himself seated next to Prince Dimitri somehow, leaving him and Azura isolated from the rest of their class. Still, these Faerghus royals weren't bad at all. They seemed rather interesting and, as Dimitri had stated earlier, knightly. A bunch of Fredericks and Chroms walking around. Except for Felix. He was more of a Lon'qu.

"You don't see many manuals on grappling, but I've always viewed it an essential part of close-quarters. As a mage primarily, my sword is sometimes too slow to draw against a faster foe. Then again, you can't really punch a wyvern or a horse. But it's still useful on foot."

"That's what I was getting at," Felix agreed. "You have access to these holds and submissions that can subdue a heavily armored target when blade alone isn't enough."

"You could just be like Prince Dimitri and bludgeon them through a fully plated cuirass," Sylvain offered.

"Or be like Sylvain and barely get through a cloth tunic," Ingrid added with a laugh. Even Felix and Dimitri smiled at this, leaving Sylvain flustered.

They were friends, that much seemed evident. If Robin had to guess, Ingrid was the oldest one? No, that couldn't be it. Felix was hot-headed at times but stayed rather cool. Some sort of disdain towards Dimitri though. Sylvain... was the butt of the current joke, but didn't seem to take offense.

"You seem healthy," Robin wondered. "Are you of frail constitution?"

"Ouch, man. And _no_ I am not."

"That didn't quite come out the way I wanted it to," the tactician admitted. "Still, you seem able at the very least."

"He would be if he would train with the same intensity that he does philander," Ingrid finished. "He's a real expert on chasing down a skirt, aren't you?"

"Not totally false," Sylvain laughed with a wave of his hand. "There are also leggings and pants too."

"Anything with legs," Felix added.

Ah. That's what it was. Sylvain was definitely the youngest then? Unless Robin had this figured all wrong.

"I'll tell my classmates to be wary of a hunter then," Robin laughed. "I'm sure there's more to it than that."

"Nope, that's about it," Sylvain said with a satisfied look. However, that quickly turned to confusion. "You said classmates. What House are you in? Up 'till now I thought you were a Black Eagle. But then I realized you... you're not."

"We haven't decided on a name," Azura joined in, having been inhaling her food until now. "We really should," she said to Robin.

"Wait, you're a... fourth house?" Dimitri asked, pausing his meal too. "I just thought that the Archbishop offered you travelers a... monetary reward as payment. Not to mention the uniforms for blending in with us here at the banquet- but to actually attend the Monastery?"

"You said it yourself, Prince. We're students now."

A brief silence, interrupted by Felix tearing into his steak like some sort of surgeon.

"That's plausible, actually," Sylvain admitted, correcting himself. "This is interesting."

"The Archbishop insisted we stay at the Monastery," Robin half-lied. "We've reached the end of our travels for now. The Monastery seems a good place for my people to rest before we return."

"Speaking of that, I did look at the maps. Archanea... I can't find it."

"You wouldn't be able to," Tiki joined in from a few chairs across. "I took a look at a map too."

"...Really?" Robin asked, not sure what Tiki was getting at. "We've traveled that far?"

"Our voyage was lengthy and restless," Tiki span the tale effortlessly. "We sailed for months on end, past Brigid, past Dagda, past Albinea. If we go farther west, you'll see nothing but water for many days indeed. But you'll eventually find Archanea."

"...How many of you were there?" Dimitri wondered.

"Our crew eventually settled in with a village," Robin added. "But the eight of us had a goal to reach the center of Fódlan. Garreg Mach Monastery."

"So the Archbishop instated you as your own class? Why not just join one of ours?"

"It wouldn't make much political sense," Robin answered. "We don't really belong to the Empire, to the Kingdom, or to the Alliance."

"Garreg Mach is a highly renowned institution. The most prestigious in Fódlan. To just break tradition and add a fourth house... it's a pretty big deal," Ingrid noted.

"It is. The Archbishop has to have her reasons. We may be strangers but even we can tell when something is off," Azura admitted. "I just hope we are welcome here."

"You are," Dimitri assured. "You are strong companions and if anything, you will enhance our experience here rather than detract. I am looking forward to this year."

Ingrid and Sylvain agreed, and everyone returned to their food, if ever so briefly.

"Tomorrow," Felix spoke suddenly after a sip of his drink, "We will spar," he said, meeting Robin's look with his own.

"This I want to see," Dimitri added. "And if Professor Byleth is interested, perhaps our classes can run a small mock battle-"

"Professor Hanneman was clear to say that no sparring will take place until after this week," Ingrid pointed out. "We can't have ourselves getting injured before we start our first assignment."

"True. I suppose we'll have to wait then," Dimitri sighed. "Still, if you're students here, that means you'll be here all year. That's plenty of time to work out a tournament."

"Is that all we do here?" Azura asked. "I was under the assumption that Fódlan has been at peace for hundreds of years. You seem quite eager to bludgeon each other on the first day."

"You wouldn't understand," Felix said, a little ice mixing with his usual venom. "This is how things are."

"You must be confusing my curiosity for passivity. I can assure you that I will be a part of this little tourney," Azura responded, meeting ice with fire.

"You?" Felix laughed, looking the dancer over. "The Boar will lose his grip and snap you in half."

"Felix, please. Not here," Ingrid urged, leaving Felix to shrug.

"This is how things are," he repeated simply.

* * *

"So it's 'Princess' Lucina, 'Princess' Corrin. How about that. Still, I feel like I'm walking into one of those Kingdom stories if a magical posse of royals coming to my rescue this morning is any indication. How can we be sure you are who you say you are? Where you say you're from?"

"You can't," Lucina said with a simple tone. Claude's questions were getting rather in depth and at this point, rather irksome. "So it's either you trust us or you don't believe us. Either way, I would like to eat my food before it gets cold, if you don't mind."

"House Leader's orders," Corrin added, digging into her food too. Claude let them eat, a patient man as he was.

"Actually, there is one way we can all be sure," Lorenz suggested.

"Oh? What's that?" Lucina asked between bites.

"Tomorrow, we'll visit Professor Hanneman. He has a rather quaint little device in his office that he'll be thrilled to spin up again for eight new students."

"What does it do? Check for lies?"

"...Precisely," Claude answered without a pause.


	3. Devoid of Color

Reception Hall, 21st Morn of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"There is something on your mind Seteth. Please, speak. We are alone, after all. At least for a little while longer."

The Archbishop was a tall, proud woman. Her figure was imposing, the diadem adorning her crown a symbol of power and of wisdom. Still, when she sat atop her throne, loathe as she was to call it thus, she diminished quite severely in height. Advisor Seteth on the other hand was a touch larger in stature, rarely seen on his simple wooden chair unless it was to attend to paperwork. And paperwork, as Seteth knew, was not to be touched until after breakfast.

"...I must voice my concerns about the travelers. I gave no thought when I deferred to your kinder judgement yesterday but my sleep was plagued with these foreboding possibilities and premonitions of deception. Will you consider my following words without _bias_... towards our people?"

Rhea nodded, leaning forward ever so slightly to give Seteth her undivided attention. "Please. I will listen."

"I would ask about Tiki first. I was at first thrilled to consider the idea that someone survived but... Rhea, yesterday night my mind conjured doubts. They have plagued my mind like an infection, taking over my every passing thought. Tiki claims that Mila and Duma have been dead for nearly two thousand years- and she herself claims to be multiple thousands in age. Yet, as you well know, it has been only a millennium since our exile. How can one such as her be the child of Naga, who we have not seen or heard from?"

"The thought has crossed my mind as well," Rhea assured, no concern on her face whatsoever. "But do you doubt little Tiki? Do you not sense our shared history within her? Our people? Where they went was not of Fódlan and we know time flows differently beyond the Progenitor's ken. If Naga sent her to protect us, to protect Fódlan, then I will trust both of them."

"It doesn't add up, Rhea," Seteth groaned. "None of it does. Let's ignore her misconstrued history and presume the Naga we know sent her- sent her with seven _others_ who also conveniently found themselves with not only the three future rulers of our continent, but us as well. And let's not forget about Byleth, who I will complain of your treatment of after my current tirade, mind you. Isn't this a bit convenient for every party involved except us? Perhaps this isn't as good as it seems, Rhea. They could be here on behalf of some party that wishes to dig up our secrets! Or worse yet, they could be spies who have already discovered our history and have infiltrated us-"

"Did you not see and sense upon them the marks of our people? Of Naga and Anankos? Our old companions? They bear crests just as the others who have stolen them. But they are different. They are like us, and I sense in your heart you already knew that."

"..." No response.

"Seteth, you know it just as well as I do. Close your eyes and imagine a day in Zanado, so long ago. Can you smell it? Can you not feel that they are granted the gift of our people?"

Rhea's eyes were pleading, a rare emotion. For centuries she had maintained a fairly serene appearance with only a few outbreaks over the years of anything beyond anger. This was completely different. Seteth looked on past the Archbishop who he had served so diligently, imagining instead of Cathedral walls, the unstained rocks of the canyon where their people had dwelt. He heard laughter and the peaceful rush of the river that hadn't run red with the blood of their mother.

She was right.

"...I did. I will admit that I did," he admitted after a long breath. "I can come to accept them, I truly hope. Alright. Let's assume the best of them, but what of the others? The new Professor and the former Captain? My dreams were plagued by many, not just the new students."

This seemed to be less of a deal to Rhea, who dismissed the qualm with tight frown.

"Byleth and Jeralt are stewards of my trust, Seteth. You will come to trust them."

"You have known the girl for little more than a day!"

"And she has had Jeralt- who has my blood and my crest- her whole life."

Seteth stood silent, his lips parsed in slight agreement. It hadn't been done in a while, but to give Nabatean blood was no small gesture. To receive a gift from Sothis' kin was nothing short of offering one a taste of godhood. Seteth never met the man but he already knew Jeralt was a man worthy of respect, even without Rhea's crest. Were it not for his suspicious disappearance 21 years ago, in days before he was Seteth, he would probably even be friends with the man. But then if that would be a probability, why did his worries harass him like seagulls on a peaceful day at the beach? The situation made Seteth's usual headaches amplify and it was not the best start to an already stressful school year.

"Jeralt I can learn to trust, provided his motives for that day 21 years ago were justified. But I will not trust Byleth, Tiki, nor any of them. We need to know more, Rhea," he repeated, quite adamant. "Even if our blood runs through theirs... their hearts have yet to be revealed. I can't in good faith trust them. Not yet."

"What would you have us do? It is the first day of classes and there is much to dole ourselves to. We have a duty here in Garreg Mach, and it will not do for the sole guardians of the Progenitor's halls to abandon it."

"I am well aware," Seteth sighed, staring at his feet. Rhea was a bit hard to convince at times, especially when her mind was set on a certain outcome. Recently she had been fancying the return of Sothis, buying into the illusion she had crafted a millennium ago. They both knew the truth, and her mother would never come back. To be fair to the Archbishop, this behavior happened a few times every hundred years. This episode seemed to be quite zealous, as if Rhea was sure it was going to happen this semester. As if she had fully bought the lie as her own twisted truth.

"Even if this doesn't seem suspicious to you, think of the Church! Surely flapping lips will do as they always do and you know how hard it is to rectify misinformation. I will make a suggestion- A bold one. One that may... give us the time and the clarity we need to appraise our eight guests and the professor too."

Rhea rose, a fluid and slow motion affected neither by age nor by fatigue. She glided down the stairs as she always did until she was a few feet away from Seteth. Her eyes pierced his own, but he met her gaze with a steel will. Not even a squint despite the sun rising behind Rhea's shoulder, through the stained glass.

Indeed, this was quite serious to him. She would hear his plea.

"Do tell."

"I will comply with your sentiment that we should reform the Wolves. Under a new name, as you had originally suggested of course. But give _me_ command over them. And allow me temporary jurisdiction over Yuri and his Mockingbirds, see if they, along with Shamir's network of spies can piece together this puzzle that vexes my head so. Trace their footsteps, their interactions. Go all the way to the three nations if we can. This is convenient and frankly, too much so. We needed to piece their story a long time ago, and even then, they know more than anyone else on this continent. Was it so wise to divulge so much yesterday? Let me do this, Rhea. Let me handle them."

Rhea paused, contemplating the shift of power that Seteth had requested. Originally, the Mockingbirds would be assigned to some Western Church conspiracy regarding some insurrection business... But the Wolves? Seteth would utilize their talents better.

"Yes to the Wolves, no to Shamir, maybe to Yuri. I assigned a task to our agents in Abyss and it will be occupying both of their spies. I cannot give you control over their actions for at least another few months."

"...I see. Then Gilbert's men will have to suffice, and there is some business after the mock battle that I can put the Wolves to assisting the Knights with."

Rhea looked Seteth over. The tenseness in his shoulders was still visible, along with the eternally furrowed brow. But at least his frown had dissipated. That would suffice.

"If that's that, was there anything else that would help your troubled mind?"

Seteth looked away now, uncomfortable with his next few words.

"I.. would ask your consideration on the request that Tiki be my assistant."

She blinked twice. A reaction. Not one she could control, despite a thousand years of Cichol's companionship. Not many things caught her by surprise anymore, but this did.

"...Your assistant."

Seteth nodded, as if the out-of-the-blue question wasn't as unreasonable as taking control over the network of spies for the Church. What was his last big request? To wake up Cethleann and bring her to the Monastery, she recalled. Ah, that was a thrilling argument. Many tables were slapped.

"Some menial tasks every now and then to supplement her tutelage and possible Nabatean heritage, while I will... attempt- within reason mind you, to ascertain her heart. I will be very frank, Rhea: I do not think she is one of us. I would not be opposed to being convinced otherwise."

"And you are one to lecture me of 'wagging tongues,'" Rhea scoffed, walking past the Advisor to check outside her door for eavesdroppers. Satisfied at their isolation, she turned back to him. "She just arrived here and now you would have her at your beck and call."

"I am very much aware," he said matter-of-factly, "but the place best suited for one who claims to be one of us is... well, near one of us."

"This is rather sudden and unsolicited, Advisor. Is this because she reminds you of Ethniu?" she asked with a smile.

The fun part about having green hair is that it contrasted so strongly with the red of a blush.

"R-rhea! Please, you know that is not at all what I was suggesting!" Seteth exclaimed, his headache striking once more. But Rhea's work was done; the harmless suggestion had tickled that small ache in his heart and would sting every time he would look at Tiki. Yes, he would never admit that she did remind him of a lovely day in Enbarr. Of church bells and flowers through the amber sky.

"I jest," Rhea lied, smiling mischievously. "I know you mean well."

"I will know what she and Naga meant to 'protect you,' and perhaps we can put both our doubts to rest," Seteth explained, the pallor in his face returning to an acceptable level of worry.

"I have no doubts of my own," Rhea said with a slight parse of her lips, "But I can grant this... odd task to her. Very well. Tiki will be Assistant to the Advisor, for lack of a proper title."

* * *

Breakfast for the students was still being prepared by the time they filed into the Reception Hall, leaving the hungry rabble anxious to escape the Archbishop's gaze and scrutiny for the pursuit of some good food. Claude and his Golden Deer made the effort to group next to Lucina, which was met by an unladylike rolling of the Ylissean's eyes.

"Today is your first day of learning here," Rhea began, nodding to an off-stage Seteth. "You will have between the seventh hour and the eighth hour bells to indulge in your first meal and warm up your bodies for training, after which your professors will be waiting for you in your respective classroom. I need not repeat any more of the procedure you should already know, but I do have some new information for you."

Edelgard looked around, slightly surprised to see Lucina and friends among them. So they were students after all. Dimitri caught the trail of her gaze and nodded in knowing realization. Four Houses indeed, it seemed. Considering the entire future of Fódlan was going to attend in simultaneous proximity this year, this was a rather bold move for the church.

"House Leader Lowell, present yourself if you will?" Rhea asked with a gesture. Lucina answered it without pause, stepping forward to be appraised officially by the Academy students. She bowed in front of the body, not quite enjoying having a multitude of eyes boring holes into her.

"This is Princess Lucina von Altea, if you wish to consider Fódlan naming tradition. She will be the House Leader for the Ashen Wolves."

This little tidbit of information had Lucina, not to mention everyone else, in a state of surprise. Four Houses, sure that wasn't much of a surprise anymore. But Princess? Ashen Wolves? That was a lot to take in.

"...W-well, Lucina Lowell would work too," Lucina recited a little too quickly, looking to Laslow for a brief instant. Altea. She hadn't thought of that. Well, Marth of Altea, Lucina von Altea... gods she was stupid. Ylisstol, really? Lucina von Ylisstol? Agh!

Slapping herself in the head mentally, Lucina paused for a brief moment of clarity. Altea? How could Rhea have known? Tiki? Perhaps the Archbishop had interrogated Tiki a little too much, it seemed. Or maybe Tiki had simply given up everything to her supposed kin. How very trusting.

"Didn't Archbishop Rhea just yesterday ask us to come up with a house name?" Corrin asked to Byleth, to which the professor gave no answer.

"Now we have four heirs to four thrones. Wait, where's she from?" Caspar pestered, prompting Linhardt to silence the shorter student with a hand over the mouth.

"She just said Altea."

"Where's that?"

"...I don't know."

"Worry not, students. The Ashen Wolves was a class the Church created a while ago for a singular purpose: To give a select few not born into the seat of Fódlan's prestige or power the chance to learn, to grow. We have disbanded it for several years due to infighting between the Cardinals but it would appear that circumstances are ripe for the Wolves to once more come into the fold of the Academy. That being said..."

Seteth walked around the gaggle of students, presenting Lucina with a gleaming silver cape and tassel, identical in form and function to the ones the other House Leaders wore. With a surprising amount of ceremony from the Advisor, he deftly fastened it to Lucina's coat, letting the short piece of fabric hang off her left shoulder.

"There is a pin on the other side, should you wish to secure it more rigidly," he said under his breath not so much in discretion but rather due to the rather tense air of the room.

"Your measurements will be taken later on today for our tailors to begin their work, but for now... ah, that looks wonderful on you," Rhea breathed, admiring the silver she had not seen fly in so long. Due to the nature of his circumstances and his work, Yuri's had long ago lost its splendor, looking more white than silver with none of its original shine.

"I wished for all of you to see this today. Know that while Princess Lucina and her company are not of Fódlan, they are students here by my permission and my approval. You will treat them as equals," she subtly turned her eyes to Claude, who met her gaze with a guilty smile, "and as collaborators for your learning process. If you have any qualms about this, you may take it out on them during the mock battle at the end of the month. But know this, Eagles, Lions, Deer, Wolves. Know that the bonds you create here are lasting, even beyond the great distances of ocean and mountain and sky. And with that, you may go. Oh, but Ashen Wolf House, please stay a little while longer."

With that, the Professors led their students back out of the doors, their steps a little lighter this time due to the promise of food. In a brief pass of time, the Reception Hall was once again still with tension.

"House Leader, have you decided on a house color and name?"

Lucina looked back to Byleth, who stared blankly at Rhea. Turning back, she shook her head. "When you called us the Ashen Wolves, my mind drew a blank on what our ideas amounted to."

"That is reasonable. I should have asked you first," Rhea said with a dismissive wave. "But while I am reinstating the Ashen Wolves... you will not be them. No, you will be something of your own making. Tell me, sons of daughters of Naga and Anankos, is there a symbol perhaps that is of particular significance to your home? A beast or creature?"

Lucina spoke up, cutting off Corrin and Tiki.

"The butterfly is one that I have come to cherish," Lucina admitted, her shield and mask still in her room. "In the stories I read as a child, it embodied the power to change fate. To change a dark future into a one of peace and happiness. And judging by my cape, we're going to be white or silver?"

"We have plenty of seamstresses," Rhea offered. "Should you not wish to decide upon silver or white, we can always change it."

"Oh, in that case let's just go with white. Silver seems... tacky," Takumi said with overreacted disgust. "White Butterflies?"

"..."

"Any other suggestions?" Lucina pleaded, not quite liking the sound of that.

"If I may, Archbishop," Tiki began, looking at Corrin and then back to Rhea.

"Please my child, speak."

"Yesterday, Corrin and I had a discussion on dragons, thinking them to be a good symbol to embody our class as we're here on behalf of one."

"Dragons?" Seteth wondered, surprised that the beast would be picked. The Church had done a thorough job expunging the true definition of the word from the annals of history. Then again, Seirosian influence had no power beyond Fódlan or the territories beyond so it would prove a difficult thing to censor. It would be remiss to have Fódlan know that the Earth Dragon and the Light Dragon lived in the Monastery, wouldn't it? Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann were... better alternatives. More human. Dragons were definitely mindless beasts. Everyone in Fódlan would nowadays say likewise.

Except that Rhea had called Corrin a 'Little Dragon' just yesterday. Perhaps Tiki's mere existence stood to destabilize a millennium of half-truths. Maybe she was just here to make Rhea slip. First things first: the new Ashen Wolves would have to be educated on the state of things in Fódlan. Most likely forcibly censored. It seemed their arrival here was already going to be a major pain in Seteth's itinerary.

"Creatures the both of us can turn to, along with Naga and I presume Anankos," Tiki explained. "It isn't working now for some reason," Tiki added, pulling out her dragonstone, "But the members of our tribe long ago would channel our energy and take the form of winged creatures of considerable size and power. Like a lizard, if those exists here. Lizards with wings... And fire."

Tribe. Seteth looked to Rhea briefly and she nodded with a slow blink. He would inquire about them later.

"I am well-aware of what a Dragon is," Rhea said with a laugh. "But perhaps we have a different definition of the word than you. Naga was certainly not a _lizard_."

Seteth vaguely recalled seeing The Divine's draconic form once or twice. He was just a young man then, but he saw Rhea's reminiscence through her eyes. She had seen those ethereal white scales as well long ago. Not too different from the Immaculate. Her head looked more like Macuil's, if he could recall correctly. But her eyes were different... so very deep and emerald.

"Back to what you are referring to, those 'winged lizard things' have been extinct for nearly a thousand years," Seteth explained, playing off Rhea's act. "We have accounts of these so-called dragons, as you describe them. Large winged terrors that spit out the fires of hell and raze entire villages with their talons. Nowadays they're synonymous with 'beasts' or 'monsters.'"

"Sounds like our dragons," Azura agreed under her breath, catching a glare from Corrin.

"But they are long gone," Rhea said with a wistful look and a sigh. "Such a creature of magnificent power and intelligence has not appeared in Fódlan for nearly a millennium. But enough archaeology. House Leader, would you object to being represented by a Dragon?"

"Where I, we come from, dragons are powerful and sacred," Lucina began, garnering approval from Takumi and Leo. "I would feel inspired having it as our house symbol."

"Plus it rolls off the tongue more than _butterflies,"_ Leo offered, much to Lucina's embarrassment. "No offense."

"We also have two dragons among us," Azura added. "Well, dragons in theory."

"So it is. I believe we are in agreement, Archbishop," Lucina declared, hitting herself for even thinking of butterflies. Rhea nodded, a rare full smile on her face as Seteth presented her with the old house banner to the Ashen Wolves. She rose to her throne, holding the banner high.

"Thus is my decree: I, Rhea, 29th Archbishop of the Church of Saint Seiros, on this 21st day of the Great Tree Moon, hereby instate the White Dragon House as a center of learning and growth at Garreg Mach Monastery. May its students inspire Fódlan's future to grow into more than what they alone can be. From the Silver Snow of the mountains, the Azure Moon of the heavens, the Verdant Wind of the sea, and the Crimson Flowers of the earth, know that the goddess' blessings are always upon you."

With that, Rhea smiled in satisfaction, lovingly caressing Lucina's left shoulder for a second, admiring her own handiwork. She would never admit that all four house capes were sewn by her in her private study. She was the secret seamstress of the academy, and it gave her great joy to indulge in her craft.

"There are great things in store for us this year, my students. Now then! Professor, I believe your Dragons are quite hungry. You'd best make haste; there are quite a few students and knights who can lay waste to our pantry. I do hope our induction ceremony left you ample time to eat."

Byleth nodded, turning towards the door and gesturing her students out towards the courtyard. Seteth stepped in however, looking at Tiki.

"The rest of you may go. Tiki, please wait an additional moment."

With an approving nod from Byleth, Tiki stayed behind as the others disappeared through the doorway.

"Yes, Advisor?" Tiki asked, sensing a bit of apprehension from both of Naga's supposed kin.

Seteth looked briefly at Rhea, who gave only a nod and made her way out of the door as well. He waited patiently until Rhea's footsteps had faded long into the distance before he opened his mouth.

"I have something to ask of you."

* * *

Claude once again had freed up some room between his Deer and Dimitri's Lions, gesturing to the newly formed house to gather around him and his pasture of flesh, eggs, and bread. Much of his suspicions from yesterday had been professionally abated; this morning the Duke-hopeful seemed genuinely interested on knowing the members of the new house as a friend, not an interrogator. After all, they were outsiders. Outsiders had to stick together.

"So the White Dragons," Claude said between bites, nodding along. "What's the story behind that? They're like wyverns, aren't they? I like wyverns."

"Well, the story goes- ah sorry," Corrin moved over to allow Robin and Azura to sit with her as well. "The story goes that wyverns are descendants of dragons: they have lost most of their intelligence over the ages and now wander around as beasts that love stealing and eating cows. Anyway, I hear... Well, I can attest to the fact that dragons- the ones from our homeland rather- are quite clever."

Leo and Azura gave a snicker, shaking their heads simultaneously.

"How very conceited of you, Corrin," the dancer laughed. "I can attest that dragons from our homeland throw very good punches." The insult made Corrin wince and she covered her face with her hands.

"...That was an accident. I..."

Memories of Mikoto flashed in her hand, but a calming hand from Azura guided her away from that flashback.

"It was. I meant nothing by that. My scar's healed," she assured, tracing the very faint line along her collarbone towards her shoulder.

There was a bit of silence, interrupted by Claude's loud chewing.

"And white?"

"Well, the Archbishop gave me a whitish silverish cape. Where I'm from, dye is rare and quite expensive and..."

Lucina trailed off, a wisp of a memory trailing through her head and disrupting her thoughts. As if Naga was once more transporting her, the cafeteria faded into garden, her classmates disappearing into bushes and the inseparable pair of Robin and her Father taking their place. She was once again a small girl swinging around a big sword, wearing a new gift that she would treasure even to this day.

It was a simple memory, a birthday. Her birthday. How long has it been since she had anything worth celebrating?

The cape was light and sturdy, a rich dark blue that matched her favorite tunic. It was a dainty thing that at the time, reached her ankles. She had to be only 11 or so, if it reached that low. He had lined it with a warm red velvet, the same material as her father's white and blue one. Due to the shape of the fabric, it wasn't much for keeping one warm than it was for signifying the presence of nobility. Still, it was a wonderful thing, expertly made. Thinking how both bore the Mark of the Exalt upon their back. Lucina had a thought to ask Lady Rhea for permission to put it on her White Dragon cape as well. All at once, she found herself back in the cafeteria, staring at her untouched plate of eggs and potatoes.

"I would have gone with Silver Dragons," Claude suggested, stirring his breakfast tea before taking a sip. "A-ah too hot."

"Sounds like a Hoshidan pastry," Azura laughed. A brief pause. "Oh, and Hoshido is a... province of Archanea."

A harmless lie wouldn't hurt.

"White Dragons, Silver Dragons," Claude said aloud, weighing each option. "Y'know, Lucina's onto something. Princess," he added quickly. "No offense to your Highness."

"I really don't mind. My throne is hardly on my mind these days," Lucina said, inhaling her serving of eggs with vigor. The sound made the rest of the table turn to watch, not realized by the oblivious consumer.

"Did someone lock her in her room during the banquet? Nah, I could've sworn I saw her yesterday," Leonie whispered.

"I mean, look at her go," Lysithea commentated in horror. "I've seen Raphael eat that fast. But not a Princess."

The White Dragon paused her rampage, putting her fork down slowly and probing her teeth with her tongue before opening her mouth.

"I'm very hungry. I may or may not have sneaked in a training session after the ball," Lucina replied not-very-cryptically. "That dinner was quite excessive, and my body did not appreciate having to deal with a week of rations in an hour of eating."

"Rations?" Claude asked. "That's right. You've been traveling on foot. I guess you're not used to a hearty meal, are you?"

"...Not really, no."

That wasn't it at all, Lucina would never admit. Just a couple days ago, she was running on an empty stomach from Ferox to Ylisse, bearing rumors of a Valmese fleet. Even in this sidetrack that was Fódlan, Lucina didn't feel like a princess. She felt more like an outsider with all these feasts and, odd as it was to think about it, school.

She hadn't lived a life as a princess since she was a girl. Even as her days as Marth, her diet was mostly scavenged, if not goodwill from Ylissean farmers. Besides the one day she spent in Ylisstol warning Robin about Valm, the last time she had a large meal was...

Lucina didn't often draw blanks, but this question brought forth a rather large void in her memory.

"I can't recall the last time I ate something that... demanding," she chose rather carefully. The Church clearly loved their ceremony as Jeralt had said yesterday. She didn't want to offend her hosts.

"Really? That's like normal feast proportions," Claude laughed, watching Lucina resume her conquest. "Training probably would have been a good idea though. Nothing like a good workout to put away a filling meal."

"If that was just 'filling' I'd hate to see what would leave a Fódlan noble incapacitated," Azura mused, poking her toned stomach and half expecting the many entities of yesterday to come bursting out. "I knew I heard something at night. But you weren't alone, were you?" she asked.

"Oh no. I wouldn't dare violate curfew alone," Lucina laughed. "Dim- Prince Dimitri is incredibly strong. Scary, actually. I'm starting to think you didn't actually need our help yesterday in the woods. I still can't feel my sword hand."

The conversation was interrupted when Dimitri joined in, flanked by Felix and Professor Hanneman.

"Ah, there you are. Glad you could join us here before class. I am Professor Hanneman von Essar. I'll be in charge of the Blue Lions this year," the mustached man announced with a formal bow, not caring for the fact that the White Dragons and Golden Deer were eating.

"Lucina von Altea, it seems," Lucina said, quite liking the sound of that. "Or Lucina Lowell. I'm not exactly Fódlan nobility so-"

"Ah, but nobility nonetheless. I can vouch for your martial skill at the very least," Dimitri offered.

"I can vouch for her food-eating skill," Claude added.

"I don't have any doubts, mind you," Hanneman waved, dismissing the two informally. "But more importantly, Lord Riegan here offered to me a very entertaining hypothesis during the banquet: the possibility that you and your companions may be bearing crests."

"Crests?" Robin asked, his hand inadvertently turning over to hide the scarred Mark of Grima he had tried to remove so many times before.

"I'll explain in time. I already spoke with Professor Byleth to allow two of you to come at a time to my office on the second floor of the monastery office. It's right by the Reception Hall so you won't miss it. When I finish my lesson with my own class, I will hopefully see the nine of you there afterwards."

"Nine?" Corrin wondered.

"Of course, Professor Byleth!" Claude realized. "I didn't think of that. I was so focused on the Dragons."

"A little late there, Claude," Dimitri chuckled. "Archbishop Rhea gave explicit orders to Professor Hanneman to check for Professor Byleth's crest first."

* * *

Great Tree Moon 21, 1108

"Actually it's 1180. C'mon Bernie, don't you-"

"Shut up Sylvain."

Great Tree Moon 21, 1180

* * *

"Well, this is not what I was expecting," Leo began, his boots tracing circles in the sand-covered cobble of the sparring grounds. The meal was filling and provided the proper motivation to start a day of learning. It wasn't too long ago that Leo led a similar lifestyle; A day of tutoring with not even the light of day to keep him company. Just three Nohrian dishes and Iago. Gross.

"Seteth says the room will take another few weeks to complete, and that's with all able workers on schedule," Byleth explained, handing out textbooks to each of the White Dragons. The classroom, for much lack of a better name, was simply eight desks in a half circle around a wheeled-in chalkboard along with some spare books and materials from the three other classrooms.

At least there were plenty of weapons nearby. Maybe they could fight all day, Corrin thought, chuckling to herself.

"Before I begin, like you've heard before Seteth told me and the other Professors that there will be a mock battle between the four houses a week and a half from today. We are currently debating whether the White Dragons will participate in the battle as their own entity or simply split up and join the other houses. I voted for the chance to let us shine, so hopefully the Archbishop grants us a chance."

"Sounds fun. I owe Dimitri a rematch," Lucina announced, rotating her wrist gingerly. "I owe myself a win."

"Already on a first-name basis with the Crown Prince. You work quick. It must run in the family," Laslow teased, met by a groan from the Princess.

"Enough, both of you. I find it reasonable that we're aptly experienced enough to skip combat orientation," Byleth began, opening up her instruction packet from Seteth. "However, there are many things all of us will have to cover that won't be attained as naturally. The Advisor gave me a list of texts explaining Fódlan culture, hierarchy of the three nations, Seirosian history, among other things. I'll do my best to make sense of it and create an actual lesson plan for us to work on along with our tactical and strategic lessons. The latter is more my field, so I won't worry about combat instruction. I am the combat instructor, after all."

"Uh, Professor, aren't you a native of Fódlan? I hate to sound snarky but shouldn't you already know the history and culture?" Takumi asked, earning the ire of Corrin and Azura next to him.

"I know what a mercenary ought to know," Byleth responded, taking no offense to the question. "I was raised by my father who never involved himself with political jobs. Even when he did, I never needed to know the inner workings or the comings and goings of the nobility. As for the Church of Seiros, I see now his reason to be so silent about it: he used to be the Captain, as we've all seen, and hoped to maintain anonymity."

"Makes sense. But now it raises the question why you're our teacher and rather not just one of us students. Combat instructor or not, there's a lot of non-combat material that none of us know. After all, you're around our age, aren't you, Professor?" Robin asked. "Wouldn't it make sense for you to be a White Dragon as well despite your talents? Or even join another class?"

Byleth didn't react very strongly, only nodding along.

"It is true. None of you are wrong... And it's not like no one here is inexperienced in combat."

She picked up two swords from the rack, feeling their balance and giving one to Robin.

"...But I want to win this mock battle more than anyone else here."

* * *

"Someone get Caspar. Our break finished ten minutes ago," Hubert sighed, looking past their open door to the grass field outside.

"N-not me!" Bernadetta huffed, hiding underneath her table.

* * *

"Hey, quick question. Is a self-insert character out of character if it's actually you?" Lady von Varley wondered aloud.

No response from Sylvain.

"Okay, dumb question. Sorry."

* * *

Jeritza walked over to the table and pulled the screaming and flailing recluse from her pit, placing her gently on her chair before making his way back to the podium. Needless to say Bernadetta was still in a comatose state of shock from her forceful translation and she remained as such even as the lesson began anew.

"We can resume the lecture without him," Edelgard sighed. "I'll talk to him later."

"There's no need. He's running towards us now," Linhardt said offhandedly. "His short quick strides could only mean one thing-"

"Professor Byleth is fighting Princess Lucina!" Caspar announced with a yell, a blur of white and blue zooming past the two other classrooms before slamming into the Black Eagle class' doorway. The commotion was loud enough that Edelgard could hear someone else exclaim from the Blue Lion classroom.

_"I will watch. I need to see this."_

_"Felix! Get back here!"_

Jeritza frowned as he heard a multitude of footsteps exit the Blue Lion classroom, followed by the out of breath and slower-paced Hanneman.

"Ignore them," he droned, opening his packet and reviewing his notes.

"Professor, if we may," Edelgard said with a commanding look in her eyes, "I'd like to see what the new Professor and her students are capable of. I'm sure you would too, in preparation for the mock battle."

Jeritza feigned consideration for a few seconds, before nodding in approval. With that, the Black Eagle House sans Bernadetta and Linhardt rushed towards the training grounds as well. Making sure to drag Bernadetta along for the class trip, Jeritza followed with slow steps, not bothering to bring the sleepy mage with him.

* * *

"I know what you're going to say, and fine," Manuela announced dismissively. "If you're that interested, go ahead and watch too."

* * *

The first thing Robin saw when he came to was Edelgard kneeling over him, looking his face over.

"She did quite the number on you. How many fingers am I holding up?"

The sun was incredibly bright, by this time fairly high in the air. To his left, the motionless remains of Azura and Leo sat against the wall, holding various parts of their broken bodies. To his right was... Hubert, was it? He looked fairly concerned at him too. Robin returned to his attendee and rubbed his eyes with a groan. Everything was still a fantastic blur after that zinger that Byleth had dealt him. His head felt as if it was going to split like a grape between two anvils.

"Too many. Ugh, she's good."

"I watched her firsthand in the woods yesterday. I don't think many of us here stand a chance," the Adrestian mused. "Can you stand?"

"I'd rather not."

Edelgard scoffed at the fatigued Dragon, shifting her attention at the sounds of combat. In the corner of the room were the two remaining figures left standing, one very much winning and the other mercifully granted the permission to lose. Edelgard's admiration soared as Byleth dismantled Lucina's idea of a guard with a well-rehearsed series of strikes and just like that, the White Dragon house leader was slain, holding her bloody nose like a child as she crumpled on the floor in a heap.

Turning her attention back to Robin, she looked him over. Pale skin, pure white hair. Potent magical ability. Just like all the others. Kind brown eyes, warm like an autumn day in Enbarr. Just like... all the others.

Seeing Lysithea was surprise enough, Edelgard thought, and now here was one more. The idea of the three of them together sat in her head before her surroundings forced her back to reality. Without a word, she pulled the mage up, grasping Robin by the hands and attempting to bring him back to his feet. Cold palms. Even through his finger-less right glove.

This was another, older than her if her and Hubert's preliminary observation were correct. Another experiment of those slithering vermin. Successful, probably, considering he was still alive and not a blubbering pile of barely-functioning drool and moans. She shut her eyes at the thought, blocking out that foul lab from her mind. As Robin stood, she could see all along his covered arms that there were faint scars running down the pale flesh. A success... and a weapon. She nodded to Hubert who quickly returned to the homeroom, letting Jeritza know of his discreet mission. So this was what the White Dragons were. A cover up. A Nabatean and an experiment, all under the Church's 'protection.'

"All things considered, not a horrible way to wake up," Robin figured. "The Professor would likely have stabbed me until I came to. You saved me from a good nap in the dirt."

One more of Rhea's stains to wipe clean off the face of Fódlan, and he was completely oblivious to it. Edelgard lightened up, smiling at the taller figure who hobbled about to test his legs. When he looked back, he flashed a smile of his own. In that brief instant, Edelgard saw in his eyes the nine others who had fallen so that she would rise.

"Well, there are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."


	4. Check Your Syllabus

Hanneman's Office, 21st Night of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Archbishop, this is the summary of my report. As you predicted, I've gleaned quite the revelation from these new students. Well, minus Tiki, of course, but you made yourselves quite clear the first time I asked. Forgive the lack of presentable material but given our short time together and their... less than optimal condition I could only produce these small observations."

Those 'small observations' took up nearly a month's worth of parchment.

Despite his apparent age, Hanneman sounded as giddy as a child in a candy shop and had the youthful spring in his step to match. The papers that weren't flying around from the ferocity of his motions were messily compiled in a stack that would barely fit in his hand. Seteth and Rhea raised shared eyebrows, and the newly appointed assistant behind them tried to peek over the shoulders of her kin to no apparent avail. At the last instant Tiki could catch a glimpse of what appeared to be the Brand of the Exalt sketched on a loose parchment. A sketch was a sketch, yet Hanneman had drawn the Brand perfectly despite having never seen it before in his life.

"Well done. I hope you found the experience... enlightening," Seteth congratulated, choosing his words carefully. Hanneman agreed, retrieving a couple of fallen pages of notes. If Rhea was holding just the abstract, Hanneman was still in the possession of the filler.

"You picked the worst time of the year to throw something this exciting at me," the researcher complained. "I still have the mystery of our new professor's Crest as well. Don't even get me started on Byleth."

"Then we won't. Still, there will be plenty of opportunities for many things this year," Seteth assured, stepping back. It was a long day and his tired bones yearned for the humble wooden throne of his office. Byleth was the least of his worries for now, as many as they were.

"Were it not for the Blue Lions to take care of, I could throw myself into this new material for weeks on end!" Hanneman trailed off, abandoning Seteth and Rhea in favor of his world of crestology.

Rhea looked quickly to Seteth, whose eyes widened and then narrowed quickly. The motion was wordless, yet Tiki translated it verbatim.

"...If the other three professors cover for you this week, would you be able to execute a more in-depth study?" Seteth asked, catching a surprised look from the professor. He looked past the Advisor to find the reassuring nod of the Archbishop.

"This early in the year? Oh goodness, I really can't say in good faith-"

"Hanneman, let us handle that," the Archbishop pledged, backing up the Advisor. "Can I trust you to compile a secondary report on your findings? At least until the mock battle. We can permit more time with the White Dragons as well if that will help. And Professor Byleth, if that's what you need to do what we ask."

At least 20 years of age melted off Hanneman's face, and the young spirit of the crest scholar consumed the body of the man in an action that was quite literally a possession.

"If you insist, then I will start right away! Oh, this turns decades of research on its head! And we have just scratched the surface on Fódlan crestology, who would've guessed that foreigners might also carry strands of the Ten Elites... Could there be more than ten? Offspring, perhaps? Or mutations?"

Seeing Hanneman leave the observable plane once more, the three exited the room in short order through the door behind them. Filing back into the empty Reception Hall, Rhea took her throne while Seteth and Tiki sat by the Advisory desk. The latter fidgeted in the simple chair, still getting used to her unique position away from her newfound friends. She hadn't known the Ylisseans or the Nohrian/Hoshidans for very long but she still felt a little more company among them then the Archbishop. There was something about those two that didn't feel right.

"Quite a find indeed," Rhea mused, turning over leaf after new leaf of research. "So that's what Naga's Crest looks like. Little Lucina had it on her eye, did you notice Seteth?"

Seteth hummed nonchalantly in response, distracting himself with paperwork while Rhea perused Hanneman's preliminary findings. Tiki sat motionless, still thinking about that sketch of the Exalt's Brand, and how Hanneman had got the drawing down to the finest details. Archanea wasn't known in Fódlan, so to see something so familiar in a place so foreign gave Tiki some odd feeling somewhere between surprise and disturbance.

"...It tends to present itself onto its bearers in a physical form. Do these Crests... do they not do that here?" Tiki asked, breaking her silence.

Seteth and Rhea shook their head, the latter conjuring up the Seiros Crest through a slight display of magic from her hand.

"Crests are within us. The power of our blood made real. Rarely do they bestow physical 'brands' on their bearers. Physical attributes, perhaps, but not physical manifestations."

The assistant looked at the leaf-like symbol, realizing it to be the same one on the Church of Seiros standards. Seeing the connection, Rhea smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"The Crest of Seiros, Church of Seiros. I see. I would assume the Archbishop of the Church would bear the Church's crest," Tiki stated hesitantly.

Rhea nodded, dispelling her projection and closing her binder to converse fully with Tiki.

"I bear the Crest of Seiros seeing that well... I am her. I was, rather."

Seteth visibly winced.

"You were Saint Seiros? I thought she was human. That she received a gift from our people," Tiki wondered.

"That's not quite it," Rhea corrected, looking at Seteth and then back to Tiki. "Long ago, I took the name of Seiros. When the world needed her, I was Fódlan's savior. It was a name I took to inspire man to fight for something greater than themselves. Now I am Rhea. My mother gave that name to me, and I have never forgotten it. But I watch after Seiros' legacy and the work she left behind for man to complete."

"So you've saved the sons of man before." Tiki realized, her composure getting a little more comfortable. Still, she couldn't quite rid herself of uneasiness. Not while she locked eyes with Rhea.

"I have. It's what any of us would have done," Rhea replied with a blank smile.

"But now Seiros is as a god to them. _You_ are as a god to them. Something untouchable. Something inspiring not hope but fear..."

Seteth sighed at the divergence this conversation was taking, quickly moving to change the subject.

"Tiki, if you find the opportunity to nudge Hanneman along the path of his study, it would be most appreciated."

Tiki looked between the both of them, not fully aware of the conspiracy she was supposed to aid. She rose, limping slightly from the thrashing Byleth had given her earlier.

"I don't quite understand my purpose here. You already know more of my mother and Anankos than I ever did. Why not tell him yourself? Why not tell me to tell him of what I know? You have him trying to run the river dry with a fork when you are sitting on the dam."

"You must understand," Seteth began, keeping an eye at the doorway, "that Dragons- the ones you know at least, are no longer present in Fódlan. What we told you this morning was very much the truth. But the story of our people and all of Seirosian legend is built upon a sophisticated system of Crests and the Goddesses' Blessings. Hanneman has made discoveries that we ourselves have not known but we must keep that wild curiosity in check. One discovery can lead to another and then before we can contain it, all of Fódlan might discover the truth of our blood. Your presence, nay, your entire existence serves as a distinct contradiction to Church Canon. We are but as men, upholding the legacy of a people long gone. We are no longer dragons. Just men."

The look on Tiki's eyes turned from confusion to anger.

"You have the people of Fódlan deceived! These are your followers! We have a responsibility to the children of man!"

"We have guided mankind through a thousand years of prosperity," Rhea sternly replied. "Even with the formation of the Kingdom and the Alliance, we alone have kept the peace. Not man! They seek nothing but blood and power. We cannot let their beastly desires reign free!"

A still of silence covered the room, Rhea's outburst echoing throughout the hall before dissipating into nothing.

"...You want me to help but I don't understand," Tiki repeated. "You _knew_ that Naga had given her power to Lucina and Laslow and myself. Anankos' blood flows through four of my companions. It is highly unlikely that any of us will ever see Fódlan again once our task is completed. Why bother with us? Why keep up this false pretense that we matter? We are just travelers, nothing more! We want nothing to do with the Church of Seiros! We are here on behalf of my mother, not you!"

"You overstep, girl," Seteth warned in a stern voice. He rose too, a good head over Tiki's modest height. "There are things here that cannot be changed. We have done our duty-"

"No, _boy_. Do not lecture me on what our duty to the children of the land must be." Tiki walked up to the man and even though she was looking up, her anger and power alone demanded Seteth's fear. "I have seen the deaths of a hundred-thousand good men in the ebb and flow of time, just as you have. I am not some child that you can paint your picture of the world to and expect to be amazed by it! Do you truly believe that one so similar to you appearing after a millennium is going to be some unnoticed marvel? I am a dragon, just as you are, and you, Rhea! We are bound by pride and a responsibility-"

Rhea stood up quickly, taking a few strides and gripping Tiki sternly in the shoulder.

"I will not have some meddler, some interloper interfere with what my mother perished for! You are no longer in Naga's world, _girl,_ nor are you in mine. We breathe each breath upon the land of the Goddess by her power, and by her power alone! There are only a few of us left in Fódlan, little Tiki, and I will not have you _tattle_ to the dark that we still live. Would you in good faith reveal us to those who would make sure our kind never breathes again? Then would you scurry back to Naga, bearing the news that your haste to reveal us had resulted in our mutual deaths?"

Tiki paused, seeing a glimpse of terror in Rhea's eyes. There was something else here, wasn't there? Something that wiped out the rest of Rhea's kin. Something that Naga tasked her to defend Rhea from. Tiki reflected upon her mission briefly, hearing her mother's words through her own voice: To protect a little girl from the monsters outside her room, just as Bantu had so many years ago. Her gaze softened and she looked briefly at Seteth, the man turning away in shame.

"...Tell me, Rhea. Why are we hiding? Why do we hide from those who need our strength? Why has man stolen our blood?"

Rhea didn't answer, instead going back to her throne and to her documents. Seteth instead answered, taking a seat and resuming work as if this argument had never happened.

"That's why you're here with us now. We wanted to show you. Your skepticism in us is warranted but it is only a natural reaction and we do not blame you. Still, are you willing to listen, and when the time comes to pass judgement, consider our position? We will tell you about Saint Seiros, the Ten Elites, and all the stories of the past you can ask for. At the end of that, only then will we accept your anger, if that is what your heart would feel. But maybe not. Should you be so willing, the two of us will humbly ask for your aid."

Tiki nodded slowly, sitting back down. Facing away from Rhea and her stern glare, she looked to Seteth instead. In his eyes he saw only the look of a fearful father, looking for a better and safer world for his daughter.

"I was sent here to help you. It is my duty as a dragon and _your kin_ to do so."

* * *

"Alright. Now that we've shaken off the injuries from this morning, let's go over our combat assignments. Let's start with Leo."

Lucina scoffed, seeing the White Dragons as barely able to walk and not quite up to Byleth's standard of 'shaken off.' Still, she rose and so did the rest of the class with a sound more akin to the bending of a great tree than weary bodies forcing through bruises and knots.

"What's this about Professor?" Leo wondered, walking up weakly to Byleth's impromptu desk.

"I am under instruction that as students and officers, you will have to pass certain exams and aptitude checks supervised by the Knights of Seiros. The more capable you prove yourself for the Academy, the deeper into the knight's techniques and tactics you'll be given privilege to. It is my task to guide the eight of you along the right path that best bolsters your strengths and covers your weaknesses. While we will cover civics and the other non-combat roles other nobles must learn to master, the White Dragons in particular will be focusing on combat and tactics as a primary learning objective."

"What's so special about the Knights? Why not just learn from you?" Takumi wondered.

"The Knights are the primary fighting force in central Fódlan. I haven't seen them in action but I have seen my father, who was their captain for many years. I would consider them well-drilled and considerable allies in this learning process. Their knowledge would be to our benefit to master."

"I see. So the more we can cover, the better our growth," Leo stated with understanding. Byleth nodded, flipping through her clipboard until she found her notes from the morning.

"That's right. Leo... there it is. Come look at this."

The mage hobbled over to look at Byleth's analysis of their fight. Aside from the page that for some reason had blood (probably from her spar with Robin- lightning magic did that to the blood vessels) on it, her handwriting was actually quite pleasant to read.

"Your magic is quite powerful and your swordsmanship is surprisingly apt for a mage. You held your ground and I had to rethink my approach with that weird spell you utilized. Were you formally trained?"

"My brother and my sister taught me the sword," Leo replied, looking to Corrin with a slight amount of disdain. "By my understanding I was trained well."

The remaining White Dragons gathered around Byleth as she dictated what combat manuals the seven would need to read in the coming weeks. Each of them, even Byleth, had the tell-tale marks of a rough fight. Now nothing but soreness and fatigue remained, and the energy of the room was very much subdued and yet, ready to continue.

"They did teach you proper technique, but it is clear you have never been in a real battle yet. That is odd, as I thought the eight of you traveled together. Regardless,"

Robin and Corrin shared a quick glance. Sure, the Ylisseans were seasoned fighters at this rate but barring Laslow who was technically an Ylissean and Xander's retainer, the other Hoshidans and Nohrians were woefully inexperienced. They hadn't fought a war (thanks to Robin and Chrom) and they weren't even close to matching the Demon in experience.

"...There will be plenty of time for you to forge your talents in battle. Now another thing, the way you spaced away with your magic made it apparent you prefer to be on horseback, is that guess correct?"

"Yes," Leo nodded. "My countrymen usually fought atop horseback. I consider myself a proficient rider."

"So it is. Alright. I'll take a supplementary exam on everyone's riding technique later next week after the battle. I'll let the tanner know to fit you and the others for a saddle. For now, review... Ah, here. Macuil's _3rd Treatise-_ The_ Swordsman of the Moving Battlefield._ It is a solid introduction to mounted swordsmanship, and you can work those drills into your normal magic routine. Hanneman and Manuela are more magically adept than me, so seek them out over the next week if you need help with your casting. See if there's any magic in Fódlan that you can utilize alongside your own. But don't get too used to your stirrups yet- I have something else in mind for you other than ground combat."

Byleth didn't seem the type to indulge in mischief, so Leo expected a stinger to her hint.

"...Azura. Your turn. Now for someone of your-"

"Wait, Professor, sorry. What do you mean, _something else_," Leo interrupted.

Byleth gave a microscopic smirk, only the corners of her mouth betraying any semblance of excitement. Letting Azura wait for a few moments, she turned back to Leo.

"I had an argument with my father a few weeks ago on the viability of a wyvern-riding mage. You will be my hypothesis made flesh. If you don't mind, I'd like you to get a flying harness tomorrow along side your saddle. I was going to save it until after the riding exam, but you have expressed an eagerness that I will capitalize upon."

Leo's face paled. He hated heights. He hated the wind tearing through his hair and ears. It was terrifyingly thrilling and the rush had never once been something repeatably enjoyable. But still, Byleth had a point. If Camilla could cast intermediate magic from wyverntop, couldn't he? The power to control gravity while atop a flying beast was... exciting, to say the very least. Leo's worry turned into an excited and nervous smile.

"Azura," Byleth repeated, noting Leo's bright outlook, "I was at a loss for you. Someone of your build shouldn't be hitting as hard as you do. You went right through my high guard on your first swing." As she said this, Azura just now noticed the pale bruise that ran from Byleth's chin running into her neck. She must have been the only one to strike a head blow, which was quite impressive.

"But then again, you are _someone of your build_. The battlefield is no place for a dancer," the professor noted, catching the songstress by surprise. "One hit from a bandit to just about anywhere on your body and you'll never walk, let alone dance, again."

"How did you know?" Azura began, caught off guard by Byleth's intuition.

"You have excellent footwork and an ease to your movements that not even I can match. It led me to think of what you could have been were we not fighting. My father knew a bit of dancing and taught me what he knew when we would visit villages during the various moon celebrations. You have the footwork and poise of a duelist, maybe even a good spearman. But I am quite certain that me knocking you down with one punch is going to be a problem out there."

Azura winced, unconsciously thumbing her ribs with a slight touch before listening to the rest of Byleth's analysis.

"Even then, I think I have a workaround. We'll keep using lances as you show an affinity towards them and they are the perfect weapon to provide power and reach without the need to be physically imposing. I also want you to start practicing white magic, and when you pass the Church Standard Exam for a healer, I would eventually like to see you atop a Pegasus to utilize both spear and magic."

"A Pegasus?" Azura wondered. Sure, her pendant was out of the question so her utility as a dancer was quite literally ham-stringed. Still, white magic in this world seemed to be the equivalent of healing magic, which Sakura had taught her to conjure at the very least. Hinoka had taken her for a few rides and Azura felt comfortable behind the reigns of a Tenma. She nodded to Byleth, not a fracture in her resolve. A flying healer and a way to mitigate danger to herself. Something similar existed in Hoshido, as a Falcon Knight. Still, a Pegasus was a wise decision on Byleth's part, seeing that Azura would probably not get many chances to dance. Unless she somehow found a way to find privacy in the Monastery.

"Next; uh, Tiki- Not back yet? Okay. Robin."

The tactician perked up, curious to what Byleth had in store for him. Usually, he was the one making the battlefield calls so to be in the role of a soldier was a unique experience. Humbling, even. Still, Byleth had thoroughly beaten him within an inch of his life, so he would yield to the superior fighter's judgement.

"As a swordsman and a mage, you're pretty resourceful. I don't blame your defeat over lack of experience, on the contrary. I would even say you have a couple years of experience over some of your classmates."

Robin smiled with a nod, looking at Takumi and Leo who stared blankly back. "That would be accurate, yes."

"I suspected as such. However, your physical strength is somewhat lacking compared to the common soldier. That is alright, seeing as your magical force and expertise clearly compensates for that. Someone with your sense of battlefield flow should be on the field, learning the various ways to exploit an advantage and force an unfair fight. I want you to focus purely on white magic."

"Healing?" Robin asked, the suggestion very far from his expected one. Byleth shook her head, rubbing her nose as she did so. The dried blood near her nostrils and corners of her mouth made themselves apparent at that point, leading Robin to realize that his lightning was close to making Byleth's eyes liquefy. He didn't even realize she was pushing the fight that hard, prompting him to unknowingly try to kill his professor. Still, she didn't care in the slightest, causing Robin to believe this was all just her method of sparring- Very serious, and to the close call of death.

"Not just healing," Byleth corrected, breaking Robin out of his reverie. "White magic is a powerful implement in the hands of a quick-thinking caster like you. A skilled white mage can reposition allies hundreds of paces away and bring them back just as easily, silence enemy mages from far beyond normal spell casting ranges, and even bolster another fighter's resistances and defenses. You're a pretty keen fighter, I'm certain that if you put in the effort to add utility magic to your repertoire, you can tip the scales of any fight, even an ambush."

"Tip the scales..." Robin repeated, letting out a hesitant chuckle. "Will do Professor. I'll be warping everyone all across the battlefield yet. Will I be doing this atop horseback or wyvern as well?"

Byleth looked up from her papers, surprised at the query.

"No, I didn't plan for that. It is possible of course, but the effort that it takes to ride will tax your body and reduce the amount of spells you can cast before fatigue sets in. In my experience, a utility mage often stays on foot to maximize their stamina on the battlefield. Mobility isn't a priority for you if your magical ability can be your arms and legs."

"Right. Was there anything else or would you like me to focus on white magic?"

"I am planning on having you do some research on squad maneuvers as well. I trust you to conjure a few battalion gambits when we are assigned our Church adjutants and battalions. Something like that pair-up maneuver you showed me yesterday, except with thirty men."

Robin nodded, the answer satisfactory. While he had never fought with a platoon at his command, he had a grasp on squad-based maneuvering.

"Takumi. Let's see... Your marksmanship as an archer is quite impressive. You would have hit me if I didn't walk up to you and punch you. I need you to be faster, and I don't think we can get the results necessary on foot. On the battlefield, an archer will stay behind the frontline and provide support. However, seeing as we have the makings of a very mobile team, I want to see you try shooting from horseback."

"Horseback?" Takumi wondered. There weren't many horses in Hoshido as it was more of a Nohrian thing. Kyūdō, at least the variant Mikoto and his birth mother had taught him was meant more as a meditation and a state of focus, of discipline. It was hard to focus on a horse. Sure, it was practical in combat, just not comfortable while riding. "I can't say I've ridden much." He was much to arrogant to ride with his big sister, and well, Ryoma insisted on walking everywhere, so Takumi would as well.

"Well, that's perfectly fine. The Church is letting me borrow a number of warhorses in return for me providing two students to clean the stables every week."

"I see. Thank you for procuring them," Takumi replied politely, rubbing his nose and closing his eyes. He really didn't want to embarrass himself for the riding exam.

Wait, two students?

Byleth paused, letting the realization sink in. She could spot Takumi's hope fade the moment he made the connection, but took no satisfaction from it.

"...That's a joke, right? I'm a prince. I will not be seen shoveling-"

"Even the Crown Prince and the Archbishop clean the stables here," Byleth responded, meeting Takumi's disbelief with her assurance. "I'll show you how it's done the first week, it's not hard. Leo will join you the next."

"Now wait a moment, Takumi and I are... well, we-" Leo started, before getting interrupted by both Byleth and Corrin.

"What about you two? Would you prefer another partner?" The professor asked, baiting a response. For the most part, the White Dragons were unified as a group. Those two though... not really.

"Well, no. I would comply," he trailed off, clearly having distaste for the task.

"Leo, please. Remember our promise? Hoshido and Nohr? Don't tell me you've forgotten after a couple days," Corrin asked, her vibrant eyes very good for pleading with.

Byleth stayed quiet, letting Corrin mediate the two young students.

"...I will if he does," the Nohrian decided. "If a Hoshidan can be forced to shovel crap, then I will do it too."

Byleth nodded slowly, taking note of the two's rivalry. It wasn't quite competitive, but what was it? Enmity? She would ask Lucina about Hoshido and Nohr later. Or perhaps Corrin would be the better person to talk to?

"Fine. But only because the Professor deems it necessary. Horseback archery can't be that hard," Takumi replied, a little cockier than he anticipated it would come out." Byleth nodded in assurance, jumping back into the conversation.

"It won't be. I can assure you that you'll have a fine instructor. I haven't actually met her yet, but Shamir is one of the best knights and one of Rhea's personal specialists, according to the Advisor. And I can help you on your riding."

"If you say so," Takumi sighed, not quite satisfied like some of the other White Dragons were.

"If that's that," Byleth continued, "We're almost done here. Corrin? Where is your... aha. Here. This one is by Saint Macuil as well. _As Swift as Wind._"

Corrin eyeballed the book, turning the first few pages and examining the diagrams. She unconsciously began to mirror the motions, almost punching Byleth in the face.

"Oop-" Byleth dismissed the action, instead going back to her paper.

"You're faster than anyone here," Byleth appraised. "When I was learning the sword, my father made me run a thousand drills that I later found out to be dictated by Saint Macuil on the matter. Until now I thought Macuil a very good swordsman, but it turns out he is also one of the Four Saints, and a good swordsman."

Byleth paused, not quite understanding why no one was laughing at her attempt at a joke.

* * *

'Perhaps your father's humor is not all he fancies himself to be,' the little gremlin in Byleth's head chided. 'He is ever so dry, despite drowning himself in liquor.'

'I was hoping that my students wouldn't look at me as a mercenary. I would like them to respect me but also to... appreciate me. Is that the right word? I think so clearly when I'm being a teacher and the words come out-'

'Swords, Byleth. Corrin is asking about swords. Stop talking to me on their leisure, they're going to suspect you're either daft or insane!'

* * *

Byleth quickly snapped back, catching the end of Corrin's inquiry.

"...swords and the reason behind only nobles using them. What's your opinion on them compared to heavier weapons?"

"It is the lightest weapon you can wield besides the dagger, but you can perform so many motions that other weapons simply don't have the agility for. In reality, you can feint with just about any weapon but with swords, your endurance will be far greater. In Macuil's treatise you'll discover the basis to many of the intermediate swordsman techniques I know. Proper lunges and feint-lunges, the parry-riposte, you get the gist. Your form could use a little work, but with your speed and your solid defensive reflexes, I truly think you can overwhelm and dismantle any opponent on Fódlan. The ones not wearing heavy armor, at least."

"Swordsmanship," Corrin sighed. "It's the Northern Fortress all over again." The feeling of a stone-cold floor and the bitter bite of wind and blade creeped along her shoulders, but she shook it off. She should have brought Felicia and Flora with her. They would love these Academy uniforms.

Byleth paused, looking at Corrin who quickly smiled back, leading the professor to ignore the comment.

"To remedy the danger of heavy armored opponents, I'm going to have you learn a bit of grappling. I'll teach you myself as our available library is in custody of the other three houses. A couple holds and take-downs along with proper combat-martial arts technique will enhance your lethality and versatility on the field. The people in Fódlan like their armor, and well-crafted plate isn't going to budge under a few hits from a sword. Breaking their arms or legs in that case would be a better alternative. With armor being as it is, any broken limbs may as well have to be amputated. It would be easier to get the rest of them out of the cuirass, and..."

The princess winced, not knowing how Byleth could say something so violent with not even a fluctuation in her tone. Not expecting an answer she nodded along, taking the advice in stride. As long as her dragonstone was out of commission, she was without one of her strongest tools. Tiki despite her size could throw a mean hook strong enough to put a grown man and his helmet to sleep, so the promise of being a barbaric wrestling swordsman wasn't so novel a concept.

"Laslow. Now this is interesting. I want to say you're a dancer too. I want you to verify to be sure though. You put up a good fight and your swordsmanship is well-grounded. But your footwork, your lightness of step, I can't quite put my finger on it. Are you a dancer, like Azura?"

The Inigo inside Laslow soared a little at hearing that, his talents recognized- meanwhile the Laslow on the outside blushed in response. "W-well, yes. My mother taught me. Just a little, before she passed."

Byleth noticed Lucina wince at that, but kept that to herself. Azura also lit up, but she suspected the two had very different reactions for a reason.

"We already have enough swordsmen in our group so I want to take advantage of your agility and strength and put you through the cavalier path. How's your horsemanship?"

Laslow often rode with Xander down to Krakenburg or to the Northern Fortress. He was probably the best rider aside from Leo, all things considered. He never had to fight on horseback, but regardless, one didn't become a Nohrian retainer without knowing a thing or two about riding. Especially with Peri as a partner.

"I can ride fairly well. My lancework is a little rusty though." Xander usually sparred with swords, and so did he.

"Actually, someone of your strength will find axes quite useful," Byleth corrected. "No offense to our other men, but aside from you and Azura, I don't think anyone else here has the right strength for axes. You'll be on horseback, so you'll find the weight will be less on horseback than marching on foot. Do you have any thoughts?"

Back in Ylisse while running away from Grima, Inigo would often use axes. Severa was more of a swordsman. When they found themselves in Nohr, Selena found herself using bows a lot more, whereas Laslow fancied himself a good swordsman. Funny, how that was.

"No bad ones," Laslow responded, answering Byleth's assignment with a nod. "I'll get acquainted with the tanner and saddle-maker tomorrow."

Byleth seemed pleased with this, turning to the final student.

"Last but not least, our House Leader, Lucina. This is a complete coincidence but between you, Dimitri and Edelgard, you cover each corner of the fundamental triangle of armed combat."

"Swords, axes, lances," Lucina repeated from rote. "I take it I have a bit more swordsmanship to work on?"

"A bit," Byleth responded in kind. "You and Robin seem to have the most experience in fighting, and that's a compliment. However, there are some things that instinct alone cannot cover. Did you teach yourself?"

Laslow watched as his sister's resolve crumpled a few inches. She composed herself, nodding in confirmation.

"...I did. My parents passed, as Laslow had said earlier. There was still a fight to be fought."

"And no one else would teach the Princess," Byleth finished with a nod. "That's a tale you can inspire others with. You must have started from a young age. With a proper instructor to pair with your instinct, you would have beaten me this morning ten times in a row."

If Chrom had taught Lucina, she would have broken the wall to the training pit, but probably not Byleth's guard. That woman was truly a demon fighting with the host of hell by her side.

"No need for flattery Professor. I know a mismatch when I see it. You have years of experience on me."

"And not much else. Not many mercenaries fight like you. Despite your lack of instruction, your form and your movements are well-grounded."

Lucina beamed at that statement, but kept it out of her head for now.

"If I may be so bold, if you are to have me fight as the other house leaders do-"

"Yes," Byleth interrupted without missing a beat. Lucina paused, her question still hanging on her tongue like an awkward bite of food.

"You didn't even know what I was going to ask," she said, sounding disappointed.

"..."

"..."

"What were you going to ask?" Byleth asked after a rather awkward hesitation. Lucina looked ashamed, reconsidering her words.

"Well, I would like to spar more. I want to see if I can truly best you, and maybe have you personally train me as an instructor that I could never have as a girl-"

A shattering of glass.

* * *

'You really just used my power to turn back time? Just to answer her correctly?'

'I want her to like me. I want them to like me.'

'They do, you buffoon! Ugh. Children. You are a girl in a woman's body sometimes.'

* * *

"If I may be so bold, if you are to have me fight as the other house leaders-" Lucina swore she had asked that just a moment ago, but that was probably just her body complaining about the lack of unruptured vessels.

"Yes," Byleth answered, much to Sothis' chagrin.

"You didn't even know what I was going to ask."

"I do. You wanted me to train you personally, and you also wanted a rematch. That's why I said yes."

Despite her best efforts, Lucina's stoic face could not hope to hide her excitement, much to Byleth's glee.

* * *

'Okay, that was worth it. What an adorable smile!'

* * *

Laslow chuckled as his sister let out a rare huff, shaking her head and turning her abashed face away. Byleth cleared her throat and with will renewed, found the text that she had designated for her House Leader.

"Your first read... hmm, here. Indech's _Steel of Will Volume II_. It's a few chapters' worth of different guards and defensive motions when against overpowering foes. Princess Edelgard and Prince Dimitri hit much harder than I do, and you're going to need a solid defense if it means we'll be pulling out the win at the mock battle."

"Yes Professor," Lucina responded, taking the book slowly and absently thumbing through the first few diagrams. Now wasn't the time to tell Byleth that she could barely read. Thank the Goddess for pictures.

"Now as to that rematch you crave, meet me after dinner in here. Same thing after breakfast tomorrow."

"O-of course, Professor. I'll be there."

She didn't _want_ to be there until her body was a bit better, not with her possibly broken ribs. But this was the chance to actually train with an instructor, the best she's ever met. Of course she wouldn't let the opportunity slip. Not when she still had her father and Ylisse to protect after this task was completed.

With that, Byleth dismissed the class just as the Evening Bells rang. Closing her clipboard as the students filed out for dinner, she let out a sigh and let her head fall back as she relaxed her shoulders.

'Well, how was your first day of school _dear_?' that annoying voice chided. Byleth was too tired to consider Sothis' ruse and instead answered sincerely.

'It was tiring and- you are mocking me. You always mock me.'

'You abuse my power. I truly hope you don't waste it when it comes down to it mattering.'

'Of course not. And to be clear, Lucina's smile mattered.'

'That it did. Good job, Professor.'

Byleth smiled, as slight and stiff as it was. Still, the gesture came naturally despite bruised cheeks and bloody jaw. She liked this.

This was... fun.

Still though, she had one more Dragon to hunt down before dinner.

"Now to find Tiki. And maybe requisition some more training swords."

Suddenly, the door flew open and Byleth feared her monologue would lead her students to think of her oddly again. Instead, it was the Archbishop and her new assistant in tow. Tiki nodded to the Professor, not saying a word.

"I was just looking for you," Byleth greeted. "I have some training manuals that I would like you to-"

"No need Professor," Rhea interrupted, leading Tiki in behind her, and Byleth just realized she was wearing a new white and azure outfit, just like Seteth and Rhea. Her ears were hidden behind her hair, and more surprising was the flamberge on her hip. If memory served, the Archbishop herself wore that wave-bladed sword during the ceremonies. Rhea placed a hand on Tiki, smiling as if the girl was her own daughter who had just graduated from the Academy.

"I will be training her myself."


	5. Teatime Joy

Fishing Pond, 21st Midnight of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

'I thought you said there was a lake.'

'So maybe it's not as nice as the one we're used to-'

'_Fishing Pond_. It says so on the sign here. And- wow, that stinks. I assume this is where they store the bait? I-I think I'm going to throw up. Thanks for the... pond, Corrin. I would have never found this on my own, seeing as it is a few steps from where we eat.'

'Hey, don't get upset! I... I thought you'd like it. It came across my mind that 'Hey, we're kinda far from home, so Azura would want a place to dance that isn't her room,' and... you know.'

'...Sorry Corrin, and yes. Thanks. I like the pond. It's still not a lake, but thank you."

* * *

Five hours later now that everyone was either in bed or about to be, Azura came to the solitary conclusion that yes, this wasn't a lake. More like a puddle that ran deceptively deep and was stuffed with more fish than Azura had ever seen in one place. If she so much as went for a splash the dancer feared she would pull back a fisherman's haul in her hair. Also, this water did not smell very... swim-able in. That was a shame.

Regardless, the rippling of water, the gentle moonlight and even the cold breeze running over the walls of Garreg Mach made for an exotic and wonderful stage. The stars twinkled in foreign constellations and the night crickets performed a familiar song in a different key. The fish numerous as they were seemed to pay respects to the Hoshidan songstress as she danced silently along, her shoes discarded by the edge of the pier for both comfort and noise reduction. For obvious reasons, Azura did not dare sing while she went through her movements, instead focusing her sore body to perform each of her steps with the rehearsed grace that her tired mind could muster.

That smell was going to get on her nerves though. Probably in her hair too.

Still, considering everything else that had happened... this was a wonderful change of pace. The time had come and gone to grieve for Mikoto; A Hoshidan and a Nohrian were classmates under the same roof, hopefully providing the first steps to a unified continent when this was over. It was painful to admit, Azura thought to herself, but Mikoto died a purposeful death. Just hours had passed after her passing and her daughter had unified two warring countries. Well, to be more specific Mikoto's will had been channeled through Corrin alongside the impossible intervention of Chrom and his Shepherds. But regardless, there would be no war. Not for now.

Azura kept rehearsing, transitioning her step to a solemn ceremonial dance in honor of her fallen foster-mother.

For all of its spontaneity, this sidetrack wasn't the first time she had been forced out of one life by the whim of dragons. She was a young girl when she was kidnapped from Nohr, younger still when Arete had spirited the both of them out of their Vallite castle. She couldn't recall Gyges that well, but Azura still hoped that one day after all this, she could walk in her own throne room once more, crown on her head in triumphant victory over that damned monster. She had to, or else Arete, Mikoto and the millions of Hoshidans and Nohrians would have died for nothing.

And let's not forget Naga, she thought to herself. Such power those dragons possessed, yanking the eight of them across time and space to Fódlan. Azura didn't doubt their mission here, not at all. Dragons had designs of their own and humans were the ones to enact upon them. That didn't mean it wouldn't benefit mankind though. Even in her short time in Ylisse after the Hoshidans and Nohrians had joined with Chrom, she had the opportunity to do her research on Naga and Grima. Both of them had followings, albeit for vastly different reasons. But still, Naga hadn't quite grown mad yet. Grima, well...

Naga was at the very least, revered. Meanwhile, Anankos had lost his followers a long time ago in comparison. It would behoove Azura to trust Naga and Tiki, to trust that what they did in Fódlan would matter for the future of mankind. But when this was all over, Grima and Anankos and whatever evils plaguing Fódlan would be out of the picture, and Azura would see herself on her Vallite throne, kingdom restored.

Queen Azura.

Not quite a fantasy she had entertained very often but with the hope of Hoshidan and Nohrian peace, anything could happen now. Once this Fódlan business was finished of course. Queen. A mischievous smile came with the title, but it quickly dissipated. Best to not develop a lusting for power. That's how dragons went mad, and humans were no better.

Technically, Corrin was also eligible for the throne, but the diplomatic princess hadn't need for that knowledge yet. Unless of course she proved to be a better ruler than the heir apparent was. If Corrin was Queen of Valla, that wouldn't be so bad, Azura mused. Maybe she'd dye Corrin's hair Vallite blue. Ooh, Azura could be a minister. That sounded cool too. Azura, Minister of... what exactly?

She didn't actually know anything about governing. Or civics, for that matter. Or economics, or statecraft, or diplomacy. Perhaps coming to Garreg Mach was a blessing in disguise, and she would learn all it would take to be a right and just queen here. Again, the image of the throne flashed in her mind, only to be replaced by more humble, more real memories. Hoshido was cruel to her at first, no better than Nohr. She couldn't understand a thing from her Hoshidan instructors. She didn't grasp the language until well in her teens and by then, the damage had run its course. A wall had been raised that wouldn't easily be breached.

But then Mikoto helped her, alongside her four siblings that she truly cherished like kin. She missed them already, Takumi exempt obviously. Yes, what she learned here at Garreg Mach wouldn't be just for her rule, no; the future of Hoshido and even Nohr would be in her hands, and this opportunity would not go to waste.

Oh, her feet were still moving?

Azura reeled herself back into reality, feeling all hot and bothered all at once despite the chilly midnight air. She took a deep breath, pausing her dance for a moment as she regained her cool and composure.

"Ah, Corrin was right. That was nice."

Putting aside her rather sweaty and matted bangs, the dancer walked back over to the stone path of the plaza, picking up her discarded shoes as she went. A quick wash was in order, to be followed by a well-earned rest. Breakfast today was delicious, and hopefully so too would be tomorrow's. Making sure she didn't leave anything, Azura promptly made her way towards her room. To do that, she had to pass the other students and more importantly, the Professor. It was a hardly a challenge, the Hoshidan thought. For years, she had been the inspiration for ghost stories: a white-clad spirit haunting the hallways of Shirasagi, her haunting voice a death knell.

Pulling a similar approach, the black-clad dancer quickly and silently made her way past each doorway, staying out of the open and instead-

There was a Claude in her way. The Golden Deer stood there dumbstruck as if he had never expected to be spotted, despite sticking out so blatantly. He was probably the only other soul awake besides the patrolling knights out on the walls. And there he stayed, perfectly blocking her path to bed.

Gold met Verdant for a few seconds, neither giving way to the other even as the two entities stepped closer and closer together. At the appropriate distance, Azura stopped right outside... she couldn't see whose door that was. But she stopped, and so did Claude.

There was a pause. Awkward? No. Analytical? Yes. A thousand calculations were made in that instant, and two very cautious stratagems were devised. Would Claude initiate with subterfuge, asking what she was doing snooping around this late? Or would he let slip his heavy infantry, bombarding Azura with rude questions-

* * *

C

* * *

"Can't sleep?" Claude asked. Oh, that was rather polite.

"I haven't tried yet," came Azura's rather spicy response and she winced at her lack of tact. That came off a bit hostile, she would chide to herself. Claude handled the heat well though: his expression only lightened up further, not fazed in the slightest. He walked towards the benches across the hall, pressing his back against the stairs of the cafeteria and making his profile scarce. A deliberate move to get out of her way. But still he faced her. His forces had not yet abandoned the front.

"There's a curfew you know. Around here, there's an urban legend that Advisor Seteth will rapture anyone who stays up past the light's-out bell to do Church paperwork until the end of days."

Azura stayed by the door, not quite ready to sit down yet. Not here, at least. And not with this rather short skirt- Not that her dancer's gown was any more modest, but Claude would probably lose his professionalism were she to flash him in the middle of this interrogation.

"If those are the ghost stories people spook each other with in Garreg Mach, I think I'll take my chances."

Mercedes, Azura read quickly, her eyes glancing left and right suspiciously. This was Mercedes' room, whom Azura hoped was a heavy sleeper. Judging by Claude's posture and his tone, he expected that she wasn't going to make a run for it. And so she didn't. There Azura stood, staring down the golden buck with a golden gaze.

"Your soft voice is nowhere loud enough to wake her up," Claude promised, reading Azura's thoughts and glances with ease.

"I would imagine Seteth isn't a concern either?" she asked, keeping her voice low but still carrying its pensive tone. Claude was keen, he'd proven that yesterday. A conniving and rude shit he was yes, but she appreciated sharp wit in a conversation partner, lack of decorum aside.

"Haven't been caught yet," Claude smiled, shrugging it off. "I would be counting sheep by now, but something on the way back to my roost caught my eye."

"Something meaning... Oh. I see."

Corrin was wrong. Scratch that, Corrin was a jerk. That pond area clearly wasn't secluded at all. Of course she would be caught on the first day. The dorms were right there!

"If it was boring," Claude assured, "I would have left. You're a wonderful dancer. I was left in a helpless trance the entire time."

"I assume you _were_ watching the entire time. How very polite to not applaud until the end."

"Well, you seemed lost in your thoughts, all alone out there... I didn't want to interrupt."

Azura opened her mouth to continue her defense, but decided against it. Claude wasn't playing any noticeable angle so neither would she. Perhaps a more friendly approach would be in order. That, and well, she could be bothered to practice conversation instead of just being all... cold and aloof, as Takumi and Hinoka often complained that her behavior was.

She smiled a little. Forced, obviously, but it was there for Claude to see. To play off.

"I... can thank you for that; It clears my thoughts. So back to the 'why' part."

The House Leader would have smiled too, had Azura not pressed the attack right away.

"Why what?" Claude wondered innocently.

"Why anything," Azura responded, laying out her cards face-up. "You have in your possession a hostage, don't you? Aren't you going to riddle me with questions just as you did to Corrin yesterday?"

"I could, yes. But not if you don't want to indulge me."

"I don't have a choice now, do I?"

Claude shrugged again, gesturing to the wide area that he was not blocking. There was much room to maneuver to the stairs, more still to avoid Claude. "If you don't want to answer, your room is only a few steps away. Don't let Teach hear you. She's still awake in her room. Did you know she talks to herself?"

"Teach?"

"Byleth. Professor Byleth? I assume she's practicing her lectures. Almost as if it's her first time."

"Shouldn't someone of your station have more tact with his instructors?"

"You tell me, Princess."

"Professor Byleth would beat me silly. Again. Very will, you win tonight. I'll stay here until I've exhausted myself, rather, until the Professor exhausts herself."

"Tonight? So there'll be other nights?"

Gods, was he flirting? She was a skilled listener, sure, but these were uncharted waters for the songstress. This was nothing like those Hoshidan books Sakura would read with her. Either she was trying too hard to speak normally or she wasn't trying at all and it bothered Azura that she couldn't determine which path was which.

"I answer your questions, you answer mine, and in return neither of us gets enslaved by the Advisor," she decided after a beat.

"Deal."

Azura knelt slowly, curling her toes away from the cold stone and giving Claude her undivided attention. The skirt she wore was sturdy and flexible all at once, so she was confident that she wasn't about to give the weasel of a deer a scandalous view. Cold stone on the knees wasn't so bad, though she hoped it wouldn't be too dusty that it would dirty her skirt.

"I have to ask, and please don't take this the wrong way: Why no shoes?"

"I'm a dancer. I have no need for shoes."

"Sure, _now_, but yesterday you didn't wear shoes either. On a march. On a rather rocky, uphill march. You didn't go all the way across Fódlan without shoes, did you? You must have trekked hundreds of miles! You shouldn't even be standing!"

"Are you asking how or why?" Azura challenged, her feet very much unharmed. It was a Vallite thing, but she could never reveal that. Corrin didn't like shoes either, but she was Nohrian and those clanky sabatons would be a nightmare for anyone's poor nails. The real reason was that pure Vallites had rather sturdy skin despite looking no different than a Hoshidan or a Nohrian. Footwear was superfluous for them , though Corrin knew nothing of the fact.

And no, her feet didn't get dirty. Odd enough, considering her hands and face did.

"I'm guessing you're going to repeat yourself for the 'why' so let's go with the 'how.'"

"A dancer's feet get hardened and toughened by years of grueling routines. Most dancers hide their bruises and blackened nails but I have an adequate understanding of healing magic."

It was a good lie. Azura was impressed with herself.

"I see," Claude mused, either taking the bait or at least pretending to understand.

"My turn."

"Whoa, we didn't agree-"

"That weird arrow thing you do. You hold out like so," Azura mimicked his nonchalant pose with her arms. "Just a quirk?"

Claude watched Azura twirl the imaginary arrow between her fingers, laughing silently at how well she mimicked his little battlefield and monastery habit. She had it down perfectly actually, and that was rather funny.

"I have a habit of leveling the horizon with an arrow," Claude explained, doing the action himself and pointing toward the distance. "I suppose it is a quirk, huh? Picked it up learning the bow and well, no one's ever told me to stop. I like keeping the horizon in my sights. Symbolic nonsense."

"I wouldn't say that. You're the future heir to the Alliance. A leader ought to look towards his horizons, shouldn't he?" Claude looked surprised at this, nodding slightly.

"I suppose so. Still, others would just call it a tick of mine so let's leave it at that."

"You know it's nothing to be ashamed of. It could-"

"My turn."

Azura opened her mouth again, but shut it before any words could come out. She had an answer already. No need to go into philosophy.

"Fair. Go ahead."

"How do you know our language? You came all that way from Archanea. Do they speak a different language there? You must've had a lot of time to learn the Fódlan tongue, if it's any different than Archanean. I know Princess Petra speaks Brigid. How about you?"

"...Watashitachi wa onajidesu."

Claude raised an eyebrow, which Azura met with a challenging smirk. He returned it in stride, like a child who had just been asked to show off their talents.

"Sa'atazahar bifhum ma qultuh liltaw," came a rather exotically eloquent response.

Now Azura's eyebrows were raised. Both of them, actually.

"Practice that phrase often?" she asked, unaware the throat could even produce that sound in conversation.

"An Alliance heir ought to keep his Almyran sharp: trade and diplomacy and all that. Please don't tear apart my pronunciation."

"Ha," Azura let out slowly, more a word than an actual laugh. "I won't if you won't."

"Fair's fair," Claude laughed. "Archanean?"

"Hoshidan." Azura said for clarification. "It's a dialect. Kind of. What you said... that's Almyran? Fódlan's eastern neighbor? What did you say, exactly?"

"I think I said 'Whatever you said, I don't know.' Something like that."

"Son'na kanji._ 'Something like that,'_" Azura translated, repeating Claude's words. She had sang in foreign languages before- Cyrkensian, Nestran, Nohrian... even Vallite. Whatever Claude just said, butchered or not, were sounds she had never heard before and that was fascinating.

Claude appeared the same way, in awe at hearing Azura speak a little of her native tongue. His enthusiasm cut through his otherwise relaxed smile, and that little twinkle in his eye told Azura that he wouldn't mind hearing more Hoshidan.

"You know, you could've been speaking gibberish this whole time and I would still be enchanted. I never thought your language could be as graceful as your dancing."

Sweet talker. Claude was a scoundrel sure, but he sure knew what words to say.

"Thanks. I'll have to teach you some phrases. My turn."

"Shoot."

"Why the super baggy trousers?" the dancer asked, pointing at Claude's... super baggy trousers.

Claude looked himself over, girding the loose fabric for a second just to outline his rather average leg silhouette before letting the pants relax to their blossomed position.

"Maybe I'm half goat."

Azura snorted, a sound she desperately wished wouldn't have revealed itself. The answer was stupid, yes, but it caught her off guard. "Oh dear," she murmured, covering her face in shame. "To verify, that was not funny." Claude smirked, but he contemplated his answers.

"Sure. You just had had something in your throat. Okay how's this answer: I find it much more comfortable than those confining slacks everyone else insists on wearing."

"You're pretty relaxed. And you're an archer," Azura recalled. "It makes sense. I would assume you can still run in them. What with those boots keeping your ankles safe from snagging."

"Right on."

"Still, no one else wears them, which leads me to believe it's rather uncommon for a student. Is it a native garb to where you're from originally?"

Claude froze. "Run that by me again?"

"I noticed that the uniform isn't exactly strict here, so I would guess that wherever you're from," Azura continued, not catching Claude's unease, "Loose fitting clothing is more the norm and you brought it along with-"

The Golden Deer raised a hand quickly.

"Let's bring it back to 'native.' What did you mean by that?" Claude demanded, leading Azura to believe that she had found a chip in his otherwise impenetrable phalanx of enigmas.

"Where you're from, of course," the dancer responded as if it were common-sense. "Compared to the other students I've seen... you're not like them. Not in appearance, not in behavior. Not that I'm one to judge people on appearances, but there's the matter of one's composure. In a building full of nobility and well-to-do's, you're cut from a very different cloth."

Claude bit his lower lip nervously. After one whole day and night she had him sized up. Azura was rather sharp despite her solitary disposition. Sharper than anyone else who had bothered to dig up dirt on him. And she wasn't even trying to do anything besides make normal conversation.

"Do elaborate?" This was a weakly disguised bait and Azura knew it, but nevertheless she stepped on it with conviction.

"The way you acted at the dinner yesterday makes me believe that you're not of the same stock as other Fódlan nobles. At least, not like the other Fódlan students. Other nobles cared about putting up appearances, but you... you were after answers and sating your own curiosity, pretenses aside. You knew how to behave but you purposely didn't. Not out of rebellion... habit?"

"You're... Go on."

Either he was curious or he was goading her. Hmm.

"Maybe it was your behavior. Like an actor, a good one who knows how to play the role of whoever you were trying to be. But something about it wasn't natural. I know a person's eyes, the way they let a fake laugh come out. We're all putting up faces here, aren't we? But you're different. You've been into your role for a while, long before Garreg Mach."

"You are surprisingly good at reading a guy, you know that?"

"I'm not. You're just easy to talk to. I usually don't talk this much but something in you makes me a chatterbox. I'm not sure if I like that."

"Nonsense. Either you have my biography memorized or... something else. What else?"

"There's... that gaze of distrust hiding behind your disarming smile," Azura observed slowly, trying to figure it out herself, "The way your questions always have a sharp point. You think the world is out to harm you. You can't trust your friends here. That no one here shares your passions, no one shares your aspirations." Azura stated, not quite realizing the depth of her words. "S-sorry, that was rather harsh, I-"

"Go on."

Now Claude's lips were parsed. His eyes were narrowed just a hair. She had him by the throat.

Azura closed her eyes, picturing a young Vallite girl in Krakenburg, thinking up imaginary friends to keep her company because the real ones didn't exist.

She thought of the young Nohrian girl in Shirasagi, crying because her mother had dissolved into Vallite mist and the only bed she remembered was a thousand miles away.

"I see a boy and bars around him," Azura envisioned, not sure if she was grasping at straws or just providing her own self-diagnosis. "He doesn't know why the people outside jeer at him. Why they hate him. He wonders if the bars are of his own volition, or the product of the cruelty around him. He wonders... he wonders if those bars are walls keeping the outside world away... or if they're the makings of a cell, keeping him in."

"Or if the bars could be razed to the ground, so that there is no outsider, no foreigner... No stranger," Claude finished. "You... you have me all figured out, don't you? How?"

Azura looked at Claude as he was. A foreigner, just like her. She had just met Corrin a few weeks ago but this encounter was different. Whereas Corrin wanted to stop the fighting between the two Kingdoms in some grandiose fairy tail of naive convenience, Claude was... What was he after? Thinking back to her throne, so far away and yet so clear despite all the obstacles barring the path, the answer came to her quite clearly.

And the answer didn't look like anything she knew.

"I don't know."

Claude wouldn't buy it.

"You have to. No one has ever spoken to me like that. No one has ever... related. To me. Especially not a stranger." Claude's gaze softened when he realized Azura wasn't going to immediately respond. "You have to know," he repeated, insisting on getting his answer.

In her mind was that young Vallite girl, wandering around Shirasagi Square not knowing anything except her own two feet. She couldn't read the signs, couldn't recognize the food, couldn't tell apart the voices.

But she felt that hand on her shoulder. Of her mother, of which Mikoto was for almost a week now since her kidnapping. She walked with that strange Vallite girl who didn't say a word, guiding her back home.

"The walls you were confined in were of Fódlan's making, weren't they?" Azura guessed. Claude only nodded.

"You're like me, aren't you?" the archer realized, finally figuring out the mystery of the dancer before him. Azura nodded without a smile, without any sort of comfort. There was no emotion conveyed other than understanding.

"I'm like you."

* * *

Garreg Mach Rose Garden, 22nd Afternoon of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Professor? You asked for me? Is this about my reading today? I can assure you I reviewed my notes, and I promise to perform better tomorrow and- Professor?"

Lucina found Byleth sitting at a rather nice table with two chairs. Coupled on the table with a dainty tea pot was an actual mountain of cakes, the likes of which Lucina had never seen before. The House Leader raised an eyebrow, not sure how to take any of this. The mercenary lifted her absent gaze and greeted the Dragon with a nod.

"Ah, Lucina. Hello."

"...Hi."

"Will you not sit?"

Lucina jolted as if waking up from a trance, nodding in apology. "Yes, sorry."

"Go ahead," Byleth gestured, opening up a humble box that was sitting next to the teapot.

"What is this?" Lucina wondered aloud.

"Ferdinand von Aegir," Byleth began, "Had an extra tea set. He thought it wise to give it to me, so here we are. Do you enjoy tea?"

"I haven't had many opportunities to indulge," the Ylissean admitted. "But I would enjoy it if that is what you are proposing."

"Then by all means," Byleth nodded, giving the box of leaves to her. "I don't know what tea you prefer, so you should pick."

Lucina gulped. She hadn't had tea since she was a girl. Even then, it tasted all the same to her. Just gross hot water. But it smelled nice, so there was that.

"...Uh..." Her hand suddenly felt very self-conscious of itself, not deciding which variety of leaf to go for. "There's... so many?"

* * *

_'I don't think she knows what to get.'_

'Well neither do I.'

_'This is an emergency. Get ready to receive my power! We must know the answer!'_

'Of course. Interesting maneuver, Sothis. Let's see if we can derive her preferred flavor.'

* * *

"Here, let's try Ber-ga-mot," Lucina suggested, prompting Byleth to perform a light cringe. Those leaves cost more than her monthly financial aid from Rhea. To reimburse Ferdinand's investment would cripple her monthly budget. Still, sacrifices had to be made in battle, and this would indeed be a battle to win.

Byleth nodded, taking out the compartment with utmost reverence. In her hands was her entire fortune at Garreg Mach. To let even a shred get blown away would be akin to suicide. Letting the leaves steep as they waited awkwardly, Byleth saw in her mind the casualties of war: Three swords, gone. Countless vulneraries. A battalion for each of her students. What else could that money have gone to? She poured absently, her mind wrought by loss.

"Is something wrong, Professor? You're spilling quite a bit."

"Oh, I must've... sorry."

* * *

'Now is a very good time, Sothis. My mind is... wounded. Bergamot is not something I can afford to lose right now.

_'Perhaps catch her before she picks something expensive. Can't you guess?'_

'I don't know my teas. Father never drank much tea.'

_'No, that can't be an excuse! Maybe something herbal?'_

* * *

"Professor, hello? I'm not sure now is a good time to chat if you're feeling unwell."

Byleth didn't realize it until now, but her hand was currently being braised with boiling water. It kind of hurt.

"Just a second, Lucina."

A shattering of glass.

* * *

_'Fear not Professor, I am here with you. We will conquer this together.'_

'Yes, Sothis, we shall. Ready?'

_'I am. Here we go.'_

* * *

"...Hi."

And there Lucina was again, smiling nervously as she had yet to get herself settled.

"Please, join me," Byleth said, taking on a more inviting tone.

Lucina jolted as if waking up from a trance, nodding in apology. "Yes, sorry."

* * *

_'Round Two. Pick something sweet. She's a child!'_

'Everyone is a child to you.'

_'Well duh! Quickly now!'_

'We should let Lucina decide between two of my own choices.'

_'There we go, Professor! Yes, good plan.'_

* * *

Byleth took out the tea box, opening it decisively this time. She steered very clear of bergamot.

"Would you prefer something herbal or sweet?"

"Herbal would be nice," Lucina responded, glad that Byleth was picking for her. She wouldn't dare know what to pick if she were on her own. Fódlan folk seemed to enjoy their tea if they carried boxes of it around and had devoted areas in the Monastery for the consumption of the liquid. Perhaps once Grima was slain, she would have a tea party with her father. That would be nice.

Oh gods, would the other House Leaders expect indulgence of this ceremony with her too? Was this why Byleth prompted this interaction, to acclimate her for the coming storm? Perhaps it was a good thing that the Professor was doing this with her and not someone of actual merit. Not that Byleth wasn't important, but the Crown Prince or Crown Princess would probably tear her apart if she didn't know her teas and manners.

Her thoughts were interrupted with the resonant ring of metal tapping ceramic, prompting Lucina to return to the mortal realm and reengage her professor. There Byleth was, steeping the tea and letting the steam get the best of both of them.

The aroma hit her nose all at once, leaving Lucina in a rather pleasant state. Byleth offered her a cup, to which the Princess quickly accepted, quite giddily.

* * *

'An excellent strategy, Sothis. The battle is won.'

_'We mustn't get complacent Professor. Be on your guard.'_

* * *

"So what is this for, Professor?" Lucina asked, a couple sips and probably a couple cakes in too.

"What do you mean?" Byleth asked, confused.

Time stopped, though not on her own volition.

* * *

_'Are you a fool? WhAt dO yOu mEaN?!'_

'You are mocking me. You always mock me.'

_'This is your House Leader! An actual Princess! What do you mean?** WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!**'_

'I apologize. Please do not yell at me as it hurts my head.'

_'No! You listen to me! Speak to her like she's important! Aren't you forgetting a special day?'_

'Oh, right. I'm sorry Sothis, this is my first time actual hosting a tea... party. Can we try again?'

_'Truly, you are a child in a woman's body. Yes, Byleth, we shall try as long as my body allows! This time DON'T ACT STUPID!'_

'Please, your yelling is causing a painful headache.'

A shattering of glass.

* * *

"So what is this for, Professor?" Lucina asked, a couple sips and probably a couple cakes in too. Strange, she could've sworn she ate only one. She had to pace herself. "Er, not to sound rude. I just would like to know the occasion."

"Oh, I don't mind the question. As for the occasion, I recall it was your birthday the day we all met," Byleth said with a smile that wasn't quite there yet. "I wished to celebrate it, belated as it were. You are my student after all. We should celebrate. You're far from home so it's my duty to be there for you. 20th day of the Great Tree Moon. You just turned 19, did you?"

Lucina let out a genuine smile, thinking of her birthdays as a child. She hadn't even thought of it!

"Oh, yes! Ha, you truly are too kind Professor. Thank you so much. This truly means a lot to me that you would do this."

* * *

_'Once more, peace is upon Fódlan. I truly am the intellect between the two of us.'_

'What does that make me?'

_'The host.'_

_'Oh. That is rather mean, Sothis._

* * *

All in all, the tea party was a success for all three parties present. The two corporeal beings had chatted over various things- how Lucina never learned to read properly, swordsmanship and oddly enough, clothing. The two women had, in Sothis' mind anyway, 'Horrible senses of fashion.' Without power to control Byleth, the girl's rants were thankfully lost to the echoes of the void.

The teapot was just starting to get cold when footsteps made themselves apparent, and Byleth was surprised to see Dorothea and Dimitri walking together through the garden, the latter clearly victim to the former's nonstop chatter. Upon seeing Byleth though, the two quickly changed course, making a beeline for the Professor and the Princess.

"Professor Byleth! You're settling in just swimmingly, aren't you? Hello Princess Lucina, you're looking much better than when we found you and your classmates murdered in the training pit," the songstress greeted, much too quickly for either of the seated women to keep up.

"Dorothea, Prince Dimitri?" Lucina began, wondering what this visit was about.

"I was looking for you, Princess Lucina," Dimitri began, his lines oddly nervous despite obvious rehearsal. "There is a marketplace down by the stables, and I was wondering if you would be free to join us after your... supplementary lesson?" The prince shared a glance at Byleth, who only stared back. "T-though if I'm a bother I can show you another day and-"

"You can go ahead Lucina," Byleth decided. "I'll clean this up and get to working on tonight's exercise. Enjoy the market, you three. Two, actually."

Dimitri turned, only to see the fleeing form of the songstress fading into the Reception Hall.

"I'm a fool," he sighed, turning back to the oblivious Archanean who had helped Byleth gather the tea sets.

"Don't be late to class tonight. And don't forget to eat," Byleth warned, though there wasn't much animosity behind the threat. Just a simple and fair warning which Lucina nodded in respect to.

"Of course, Professor. Thank you for the tea!" Lucina called, even as Byleth disappeared behind the bushes. Turning to Dimitri who had been very swiftly abandoned by Dorothea, she nodded to him in greeting.

"Hello Prince Dimitri. Shall we be off then?"

"Hm? Oh, right. Follow me, Princess."

* * *

Garreg Mach Marketplace, 22nd Afternoon of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"And this is the marketplace. Looks like it's nothing but hustle and bustle today. Would you lovely ladies care to join us in some window-shopping?"

"Sylvain, they're already with us," Dimitri groaned.

"Dimitri, my Highness, you must learn to always ask for consent. A lady might aim to change her mind at any moment, after all."

"We're not so fickle to abandon an invitation. We'd be glad to join you. Markets were rare where I came from," Lucina explained.

"Ooh, I'm fond of markets. Yes, I wouldn't change my mind on this either," Corrin added.

Lucina and Corrin filed in behind Sylvain and Dimitri as they entered the marketplace, exiting through the Monastery gate and wandering between the stalls that lined the entrance. Taunted by the aromas of foreign cuisine, the two Princesses gravitated ever-towards the food, while Dimitri and Sylvain stayed behind to watch from a slight distance, feigning interest in the book stands.

"It was Lucina's birthday, I heard," Sylvain began, keeping an eye on Corrin as he and the Prince made idle chatter while also keeping an eye on their two new friends. "Whispers from our resident Mittelfrank diva who chanced upon a tea party in the garden."

"It's Princess Lucina," Dimitri replied sternly, shaking his head. "They are our guests and classmates. We mustn't get too familiar with them unless they permit it. And yes, I know. Dorothea was the one who dragged me along to invite the Princess. I'm already beyond flustered being here. What is the point of all this. I can't just tell her 'Happy Birthday' like anyone else?"

"Not the approach I'd thought you'd go for," Sylvain admitted. "Alright, what do you see here? It was the Princess' birthday a couple days ago. What should the Crown Prince do to strengthen a bond that was forged in a battle, as thanks for his savior?"

Dimitri's eyes widened.

"This whole operation _was_ your idea after all. But still... ah, I see. Should I buy her something? I can imagine your approach clear as day, Sylvain. I know just the thing-"

Before the Crown Prince could get too far away, Sylvain made an attempt to halt what would have been a horrible idea. Roughly, though mostly out of panic, Sylvain grasped the Crown Prince's arm which halted his ambitious stride.

"Oh no you don't. Not a dagger!"

Dimitri's face was a mixture of both surprise and guilt.

"Why not? She's an excellent warrior-"

"Listen your Highness. It didn't work on that one Fhirdiad girl so I doubt it would work here and-"

"This is hardly the same thing. I'm not some boy with a crush. This is... different. She is a trusted friend."

"You're not listening, are you? And there he goes. Oh boy, this will be golden."

Watching as Dimitri walked off, Sylvain was left to his own devices as he contemplated his friend's behavior. At first, Dimitri seemed excited to be attending the Academy after hearing that Edelgard of all people was there. Sylvain tried to hide his laugh when the first attempt to socialize with the Adrestian Princess ended in failure, but Dimitri seemed hopeful in rekindling whatever bond the two shared. And here was Lucina, magically appearing after a day in the woods, already making big splashes wherever she went.

Footsteps. Corrin appeared next to him, surprising Sylvain.

"Ah- Princess Corrin! I thought you were elsewhere," the nervous knight laughed, putting on his game face. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Corrin shrugged, watching Lucina and Dimitri from a distance. The books nearby seemed to interest her though, and she began to peruse the small shelves.

"I heard everything you two have been plotting," she said matter-of-factly, thumbing along each novel. "Ooh, that one looks interesting."

"Before you get the wrong idea of us, Dorothea-"

"I don't. I just thought it would be best to watch it develop from a distance. I figured I was the third piece of that pair and I decided to join you in spectating."

"I see," Sylvain said, calming down. It didn't seem like Corrin was upset. Curious, more like. "Sorry."

"Don't worry. This is panning out like the books I read as a girl. A Prince and a Princess, bonding in a something so non-regal as a market! Ha!"

Raising an eyebrow at the eccentric woman, Sylvain just now noticed what appeared to be her pointed ears. He rubbed his eyes just to make sure, but by then Corrin had moved on ahead, her motions causing her pale hair to fall in front of her ears again. While they watched Dimitri and Lucina converse, the Faerghus scion decided to engage in conversation of his own.

"You like reading?"

* * *

"Really Bernie." Sylvain scoffed. "My lines were much better than that."

"What? You were definitely a creep during the Monastery days. No attempts at romance," Bernadetta responded, putting aside her quill to face her husband with a mocking smile. Sylvain wouldn't have it and ruffled the author's hair roughly, causing her to fuss.

"First off: I was _not_ a creep. Secondly, really, Corrin? And me?"

"I never said it was going to amount to anything... C'mon, even I knew how many times a week you would get shot down."

"You... aren't wrong. In that case, fine. You know I wouldn't give you up for anyone else, Bernadetta," Sylvain said, sitting back down after catching a quick peck to his wife's lips.

"Oh I know. Let me have my fun. Hehe!"

* * *

"Do I like reading? Yeah, I do!" Corrin brightened up, nodding. "When I was... uh, in my homeland. I had nothing but books and swords. I enjoyed reading more, naturally."

"Huh. Sounds like a nice life," the noble remarked nonchalantly.

Corrin didn't seem to agree and made an odd face. "Not so much. I didn't go out at all. And it was very cold."

"Sounds like the rest of Faerghus- Wait, you're not from Faerghus, I forgot," Sylvain muttered, before picking up on Corrin's other comment. "What do you mean you never got to go out?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Corrin sighed wistfully. "I was trapped in my tower. I never got to leave. Not until recently, actually. Fódlan is... uh, my first real trip." Not exactly a truth but it had been a grand total of three days since she had actually left Hoshido. It wasn't exactly a lie either.

"Sounds to me like you're the Princess in your story, not Lucina," Sylvain said, testing the waters. Corrin's eyes widened and her smile was evidence enough.

* * *

"You must be mistaking me for Lorenz, Bernadetta."

"Am not! You pulled that line on me a couple years ago, remember? When we were curating Advisor Flayn's private bookcase of erotic-"

"Oh gods, don't remind me. You know what, carry on. I won't say anything more."

* * *

"That's sweet of you to say- hey! You're teasing me."

"Oh, Princess, that's hardly my intent! You know, if you wouldn't mind, we can leave Dimitri and Lucina to their mutual fates and do something on our own? Perhaps an early dinner before evening classes begin?"

"Tempting. But do you _really_ want to pass up this opportunity to watch your friends... Oh wait, I lost them."

"Well, me too. Ugh, let's circle around- see if we can spot them. We'd better be quick though. I know Prince Dimitri: He's not very good at this and it's best I correct his mistakes early on."

"Oh, so the rumors about you are true!" Corrin realized, brightening up. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, Sylvain thought.

"I'm a man of many rumors-"

"I've never crossed paths with a scoundrel," the Princess continued, earning a rather upset scowl from the philanderer. "Er, didn't mean it like that. Sorry. You know what, I do owe you a dinner for that one. Let's find those two first."

* * *

C

* * *

"This one has a nice balance to it," Lucina mused, handing a long sword to Dimitri. "What do you think?"

"It's a bit too long for my preference. Then again, I saw the sword you brought with you when we were fighting. For something so seemingly unwieldy, you seem very familiar with it."

"Falchion is special. I've been holding onto it for my entire life," Lucina remarked, making a mental reminder that Naga's Fang was still in her room, safe with all of her other things.

"Falchion? You named it?" Dimitri asked, causing Lucina to fume.

"No, I did not _name_ it. It's been called Falchion as long as it's been in my family's possession. It has its own name and history."

"Oh, my mistake."

"Think nothing of it. Well, it's not _so _weird for a child to name their weapons."

Not that Owain was a child, but the point was made.

"Your father gave it to you, then?"

Lucina reacted slightly, but calmed down when she thought about it. She just said that Falchion was handed down, so obviously Dimitri would infer that much.

"It was long ago, when I was still a girl. He didn't give it to me directly."

Olivia did, along with the news that her father wasn't coming back. Robin and Chrom both died in Plegia, leaving Lucina alone with nothing but a sword and a world of troubles.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," Dimitri quickly excused, turning back to the armorer. "Not this one, my apologies," he said, giving he long sword back.

"No, no, it's... it's fine." It was fine, Lucina told herself. When this was all done, when Fódlan had taught her all that it needed to, and when whatever evils here lay defeated by her hand, she would return. Chrom would be there, and she could once more focus on fighting for her future. Still, Garreg Mach was a blessing, a conduit to greater strength that she would undoubtedly need for the coming journey.

"The Blaiddyd family has an heirloom as well. I recall my father letting me hold it a couple times," Dimitri began, absently polishing the blade of another sword. "Areadbhar was taller than he was and I could barely lift it, and yet the way he moved with it..."

"It seemed like it was part of him," Lucina finished, nodding along. "It was an extension of his will."

"One day, I'll hold it again," Dimitri said, quite solemn. "I'll hold his legacy in my hands when I become King. I'll never move like he did, but when the day comes for me to take Areadbhar... I know I'll hear his kind words again."

When Lucina first picked up Falchion, she could barely swing it more than twice before losing her balance. Still, she trained vigorously in Ylisstol, eventually coming to the point of cutting apart dummies by the score with the few techniques her father had taught her. If only she could have done the same to the Risen.

"I'm sure when that day comes, you'll be who he dreamed you would be," Lucina said, careful with her words. "An extension of his will, but also a King who decides his own future."

Perhaps she was getting a little too personal, Lucina thought. The phrase seemed to sit well with Dimitri though, so she retracted that sentiment.

"You're far wiser and more understanding than I realized, Princess," Dimitri noted, abandoning his sword and turning to fully face the Dragon.

"Our circumstances create who we are," Lucina replied. "Anyone in my position would say the same. I still have much to learn if I want to be the person I must become."

"Queen Lucina," Dimitri let out, causing the Princess to nod.

"It's a day that will come, and when I return to my homeland..."

When she would leave Chrom and Olivia, Robin and everyone else... When a kinder Lucina would take the throne, one raised in an environment of peace and prosperity. No, _this_ Lucina would not be Queen. No crown, no throne. She would watch as the world she saved lived on, and that was a future worth fighting for.

"I think I understand," Dimitri acknowledged, finding something glimmering on a lower shelf. Lucina didn't notice the motion, instead circling around the other side to look at the shields.

"Perhaps when the right day comes, we can talk about it more. We have just met, after all. It wouldn't do for two house leaders to get worked up about childhood memories at the market," Lucina suggested.

"This one, please," Dimitri said suddenly, causing Lucina to turn back. In his hands was a simple silvery-steel blade, no more than a foot long and paired with a simple steel hilt. The grip was dark brown, bound in treated leather. The crossguard was nothing complex, but it was of good craftsmanship and wouldn't budge under a few hits.

"Hmm, a parrying dagger?" Lucina asked. "That's quite a fine blade, unassuming as it is."

"I knew you'd appreciate it," Dimitri said with a glowing smile. He handed the (rather sizable) gold sum to the vendor, leading Lucina away from the noise of the shops back towards the Monastery.

"You got that for me," the Princess realized, prompting Dimitri to nod. "Wait, is this for my birthday?"

"W-what? No! I mean, well, that too. But this is something more."

"Oh. Sorry. I assumed because the Professor... never mind," Lucina attempted, wanting to disappear in that moment.

"There's a Faerghus tradition among friends," the Prince began, and his presence and air alone seemed to blot out the commotion around them.

"The dagger is a symbol of great importance in our culture," Dimitri explained. "A tool to cut a path to the future of our choosing. I... I want this gift to symbolize a future that you determine for yourself, as you have just told to me. I know this is rather sudden considering we've known each other for such a short time, but I consider you and your allies to be trusted companions to me. You came to our aid for no promise of reward, and that is a debt I will gladly repay when the time demands it. But for now, I hope you'll accept my gift, on behalf of my gratitude and my oath as High Prince of Faerghus: I am indebted to you. My reign as King will no doubt be the better for hearing your kind words. When the time comes for us to part and our thrones call to us, I pray that you remember your time here as nothing but a boon to your rule."

Lucina took the dagger reverently from Dimitri's hands, taking its weight in her own and closing her eyes at the feeling it gave her.

'Naga had to have brought us here for a reason beyond just saving one of her kin,' she realized in that moment.

"When the time comes for us to go," Lucina replied, a serious but kind expression on her face, "I suspect none of us will truly want to leave."

But there was a war to be fought, loathe as the Princess was to remember. She wanted to stay in this dream, where the problems of Grima and everything else lay still and far away.

"I can imagine none of us would," Dimitri laughed, backing away. "Now then, I do believe we have a birthday to celebrate. Sylvain and Corrin have been watching us for some time now and I believe I have some choice words waiting for me when we regroup. Shall we ask them to join us for supper?"


	6. A Mock Mock Battle

Garreg Mach Monastery Greenhouse, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Leo was beyond thrilled when his hypothesis proved correct: Fódlan Pegasus crap accelerated the growth of plants far greater than common horse dung! Whether it was the result of some magical property or some secret botanical ritual happening away from curious eyes, the Nohrian's efforts in carrying a bucket load of 'Blessings' from the stables and plopping them all over some saplings a day ago had quite literally borne fruit.

It took a few more moments for reality to sink in, but by then his lips and the red succulent orb in his hands were getting very well acquainted. Still having the decorum to not gorge himself to the point of gluttony, the master gardener backed away for a second to admire his handiwork.

"Truly delightful. I must remember to try this in Krakenburg. If this peace between our countries is real, we can import Hoshidan Tenma dung- perhaps this is the secret key that can bolster Nohr's agricultural yields."

It was at this moment that two more students entered the greenhouse, and Leo quickly ceased his assault to greet... Annette and Mercedes. Putting what was left of the tomato in his pocket, the prince turned fully, wincing as the cold juices started seeping through his pants to continue down his leg. Clearly the two women weren't expecting to be here, and there was a slight pause as neither party would initiate the conversation.

Leo swallowed, but by then he had lost the advantage.

"Oh, Uh... What'shisname," Annette whispered from the side of her mouth.

"PrinceLeo," came Mercedes' not so stealthy reply.

"Prince Leo!" Annette exclaimed in greeting, as if the last five seconds had not occurred. "I thought Mercie and I were on gardening duty today. But... hey, wow, those tomatoes are huge!"

The two women stepped further inside, gazing at the Nohrian's masterwork.

"Of course!" Leo replied faux-knowingly, clearing his mouth of organic material and trying his best to appear as composed as he could in front of the two Lions. "I uh, I was merely experimenting with some... techniques that Professor Byleth offered to me."

He was still fairly certain that Byleth was trying to joke around, but on the first day of stable duty he wasn't about to question authority, especially with Takumi being so close by. Byleth had given him a bucket of actual shit (spoils of war from the joint Hoshidan-Nohrian conquest over the stable) telling him that 'It works wonders for the plants,' piquing Leo's interest of taking care of a plot. He would have dismissed the claim as folly, but something in the Professor's tone made him half-certain that she was actually telling the truth, and not just trying to weasel her way out of procuring fertilizer with her rapidly dwindling monthly funds.

And despite his doubts, here stood tomatoes, riper than any he had seen back home and grown to immense quality and quantity in little more than a day. What would happen in a week? Would they continue to grow or would their accelerated growth also result in an accelerated death?

"Hey, uh, so, don't you have class?" Annette pitched in, interrupting Leo's next set of thoughts. If the Nohrian had to guess, the mage was about the same age as Elise, maybe a year older. Annette stood slightly taller than his sister, sure, but it was that cheery disposition that rang uncanny. Leo didn't have to know the young girl to know that the Dominic noble and his sister were kindred spirits.

Of course, Elise would never catch him cutting Iago's classes.

He didn't want to be reminded of the fact, but the mage had disappeared from Byleth's lecture to check on the greenhouse. Now that his suspicions were put to a pleasant and surprising rest, he had no reason to dawdle about. Still, not that the Professor's current lecture was uninteresting, but hand to hand combat wasn't really his thing. Were it something relevant like civics or even arts then sure, the Nohrian would be eagerly absorbing everything from the front row. Leo knew little on how to throw a good punch, but ten minutes away from the classroom couldn't hurt.

"I was excused to take a quick breath of air," Leo lied. He couldn't possibly return now, not with a tomato in his pocket. "I can stay for a few more minutes to help," he offered quickly. If he appeared busy, then suspicions would no doubt be averted. Right?

"Oh, really! Awesome, thanks! Alright, so let's start with watering. Dedue wanted us to... hmm, don't water that plot Mercie. Duscur flowers don't need that much water!"

"Ah! Oh dear. Good thing you stopped me, Annie!"

Leo winced. Was that actually Mercedes' voice? It seemed oddly... pitchy.

"Is something the matter, Prince Leo? Oh I know," Mercedes exclaimed, conjuring a thought. "Annie, why don't you sing your gardening song!"

"What!? No!"

"It's quite alright," Leo interrupted, much to Annette's gratitude. "I'll just put away the extra supplies while you two finish watering." Elise sang a lot. Not that she wasn't a bad singer, quite the opposite- her voice was getting there- it was just... annoying. All that light and bubbly energy in contrast to Leo's more diminutive nature cast large shadows whenever the two were together and it showed, more often than not in the form of Leo's annoyed yet harmless scowl.

"I couldn't see much of it yesterday," Annette went on as she moved to a new plot to prune and water, "But Prince Dimitri says you're a really _really_ good mage. And you _almost_ hit Professor Byleth. That's amazing!"

Her tone wasn't jealous or naive, Leo deciphered after a brief window of doubt. He had learned much from Elise and Corrin's overenthusiastic worship of every minor thing he told them about. No, Annette's compliments were quite genuine. It brought a smile to his face, though it was quickly stifled.

"Some things come naturally," Leo replied, absorbing the praise but at the same time maintaining a cool composure. Corrin demonstrated to him first hand how quickly his head could be strangled by his ego, and that wouldn't do in the presence of these two.

"Annie's an amazing mage too!" Mercedes added, humming along as she did. "We both studied at the Fhirdiad School of Sorcery. It's where we met!"

It would take time getting used to the high-pitched voice, but Leo took the information in stride. School of Sorcery? That could be an interesting query to approach should the opportunity arise. Perhaps these two would be instrumental in learning more about magic and the Kingdom in general, Leo decided between beats.

"That sounds interesting," the Nohrian replied with a thoughtful tone, draining the watering can that wasn't in use and placing it back in its compartment underneath the plot. "I studied in a... similar position in my homeland."

"Tell us about it!" Annette asked in her usual cheery tone.

Leo brought himself back in time, considering quickly which parts to omit and which parts to embellish. Ignoring the fact that it was more of a one-on-one method of independent study with Iago, Leo hadn't many opportunities to interact with other students. They existed of course, but being Prince led Leo down a path not many others could share.

"There weren't many of us," Leo began, only counting himself and Camilla. Odin counted too technically, but that was more behind Iago's back than anything. And Elise, but that was just Leo showing off while the two were younger. "The instructor was rather sarcastic and harsh, but that's usually how things go where I'm from. Lots of lessons to keep me up at night. I slept more in the library than I did my own bed." He paused, watching the two absorb every word he said like it was the gospel of Seiros.

"That sounds quite challenging," Mercedes offered.

Leo hadn't many opportunities to talk about his experiences, so this in itself was rather therapeutic. He didn't consider himself the boastful type- he actually was, but he at least had some self-awareness to restrain himself- but something about Annette and Mercedes' reactions egged him on.

"Nothing like a strict teacher and heavy assignments to wake up every morning to," Annette laughed, leading Leo to reinforce his hypothesis that Fhirdiad affairs were of much the same doctrine as his own.

"It wasn't so bad, now that it's over," Leo mused. It wasn't over of course, but Iago wasn't going to be bothering him for a while. Not now in Fódlan, nor in Ylisse when they returned. Though, with the way things went with Byleth during their first spar, Leo didn't know if this was a good thing.

"True," Mercedes replied. "And now both of us are rather good mages!"

"I wouldn't say that. Did you see Leo yesterday?" Annette replied, not bothering to hide her admiration. "And don't you remember Lysithea? Or Dorothea?"

Two other names, Leo jotted down mentally. He had heard of Dorothea, seeing how open her disposition was. Lysithea was something else though, but he remembered meeting her in the library. He would look into those two too.

"Anyway, we'll be working with each other later on tonight, won't we?" Annette asked. "Professor Hanneman is working on a project with your class' Crests and we'll be merging with the White Dragons for magic practice. Want to team up?"

"I don't think Prince Leo needs our help with beginner magic," Mercedes consoled, shaking her head. Annette wouldn't have it, letting out a pout.

"Nuh-uh! Prince Dimitri? No. Dedue, Ingrid, Sylvain, doubt it! I don't think any of them have any background in magic."

"What about Felix or Ashe?"

"N-no, well maybe..." Annette repeated, albeit in a weaker more skittish tone. Leo rolled his eyes.

"I'll be fine working with you two," Leo offered, pausing Annette's thoughts. "Unless of course Professor Byleth wants me to work with someone else-"

"Oh yeah, your friend! Prince Takumi, was it? Weird, everyone in your class is royalty. Anyway, I saw you two working in the stables. You two are like me and Mercie! Best buds, working on assignments toghether!"

"...I wouldn't say that."

The door opened suddenly and much to Leo's chagrin entered Takumi, standing there in all of his Hoshidan arrogance.

"Professor says to come back now," he sternly called, ignoring the two women.

"But how-"

Leo wasn't that obvious, was he? He even took the long way, and-

"She said you would be here. And to save some of the tomatoes for the dining hall."

Of course she did.

"...Alright."

"Really? Alright? You Nohrians just cut class on our first week here..."

"I'm the only real Nohrian here," Leo clarified. Takumi paused a beat, realizing the truth in that.

"Oh yeah? Well... Wait, no you're not! Azura-"

"Nope."

"Then Laslow-"

"Ylissean. Remember? Lucina called him 'Inigo' in passing. How else would they be siblings?"

"Well, in that case you're the only Nohrian and you're the only one cutting class," Takumi replied, finding the weakness in Leo's argument.

"What are you even going on about? You left yesterday's lecture to go for a walk," Leo complained, "I just wanted some air."

"Well you had it. We're going back now," Takumi decided, leaving Leo to walk behind him as the greenhouse doors closed, blotting out the rest of Takumi's rants.

"Oh they're best buddies for sure," Annette giggled. "Hey, was Leo eating a tomato?"

"I think so."

"And he stuffed it in his pocket? Ew."

* * *

Hanneman's Office, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"That one, the one with the tear-like symbol? That is Lucina's Brand. One that has been passed through her bloodline for generations upon end. Well, we call it that. But as we're in Fódlan, you would call it the Crest of Naga, named after the one who... procured that power for herself," Tiki explained, helping Hanneman along, and just as Seteth had requested, adding a little bit of Seirosian spin. It was interesting, the Manakete would admit, as the two perused over the Professor's research notes.

"Judging by this Crest's severity in contrast to her otherwise normal blood, I would classify Lucina's manifestation as a Major Crest of Naga," Hanneman clarified, looking briefly between his established notes and the preliminary testing of the White Dragons.

"Yet her brother Laslow only has a-"

"Minor Crest of Naga."

"Can that be so? They're siblings. Biological ones."

"It's normal. It is common for those of close relations to have different strains of their ancestor's blood after all," the Crestologist explained. Tiki nodded, understanding it quickly enough. Inigo was more like his mother: a commoner, dancer, and a Feroxian. On the other hand, Lucina seemed to be more like her father, a splitting image of the Exalted bloodline. Her own bloodline, to an extent.

Rhea had explained briefly yesterday, though the act was to gain Tiki's trust rather than be an actual history lesson. A more thorough lecture was in order, but Rhea had given the Manakete enough knowledge to help Hanneman along without her ruining the secrets of the Seirosian faith.

"Ah, but this is odd," Hanneman noted, comparing Inigo's Crest of Naga to another Crest, which appeared to be Azura's Crest of Anankos. He put the parchments over each other, noting how the inks aligned in similar places when he shined a candle from beneath.

"Similar Crest markings on Laslow and Azura. Wait, that shouldn't be right," Tiki realized.

"Yes, he already has the Crest of Naga," Hanneman wondered aloud. "So why did I get readings that he also has the Crest of Anankos? Hmm, it must have been a mistake on my part. Unless... Hmm."

"That is rather odd," Tiki mused, not finding any connection. As far as she knew, Laslow was a direct sibling to Lucina. Not to mention the fact that Anankos was a Nohrian and Hoshidan dragon. What would Laslow be doing that would warrant him having a foreign Crest? Could it have been from Olivia's side? Unlikely. She was just a Feroxian dancer. No dragon blood, no Crest.

"Must have been a mistake," Hanneman dismissed rather quickly, leaving Tiki suspicious as to why he would cut the trail cold there.

"Could it be possible for two Crests to manifest at once?"

Hanneman paused, closing his eyes in contemplation. "No. Like I said, it must have been some mistake."

Tiki read it in his voice: Hanneman was hiding something. It was ironic in a way, both the seeker and the curators of this 'Crestology' had knowledge to hide from each other. She wasn't sure if she would ask Seteth or Rhea about it yet, or to let Hanneman keep his mystery.

"I suppose so," Tiki concluded. "He is Lucina's brother. It would be strange for two biological siblings to have different bloodlines."

It had to be something else. She didn't know much about the two Ylisseans, but Laslow was clearly different from his sister in some way. It didn't take a Crest Scholar to let her derive that much.

"Now look here, at Leo and Takumi," Hanneman went on. "Two halves of the same Crest of Anankos. And yet Corrin and Azura have the Crest in its entirety. What do you think of that?"

"Is it possible for Crests to be partial?" Tiki offered, clueless. She was unaware that other dragons other than Naga were even prevalent anymore. Duma and Mila were long gone, leaving Anankos to be just as much a stranger to her as he was to Hanneman.

"Not that I know. Crests manifest like fruit on a tree: You can't pluck half of an apple. When you grasp your hand blindly at the leaves of one's ancestors, you either get all of it..."

"Or none of it," the assistant realized, nodding again. "I see. And some fruits are riper than others. Major and minor Crests. But no Partial Crests."

"..."

"Did I say something wrong?" Tiki asked.

"Oh no, just... browsing my memories," the scholar trailed off, lost in his own world. "Perhaps Princes Leo and Takumi have Minor Crests. But that doesn't explain Corrin and Azura, who bear the crest not in a more pronounced state, but with a more complete symbol. Perhaps there's a Crest more 'Minor' than Minor? Very odd..."

Tiki let him be, moving on to Robin's dossier. The tactician was a highly skilled mage and an apt physical fighter, but it was his intellect and heart that were his true qualities. The Manakete hadn't known Robin for very long but it didn't take very long to realize that Robin was, despite his amnesia and that weird aura about him, a good man. A good friend, perhaps, if the two would get to know each other. That would be nice, Tiki thought, allowing herself to daydream. Once that little ordeal had come and gone, she thumbed through some more pages before finding what she was seeking. Opening the pages carefully, she browsed the nonessential data like his height and weight-

Odd, that was the Grimleal symbol, wasn't it? What was Grima's Brand doing on someone like Robin? The amnesiac didn't look very Plegian, but then again the people of Plegia either absorbed the sun like a sponge did water, or rejected it violently. Thinking back, she recalled Lucina's story, hearing how the young girl had leaped through worlds to stop Grima from being resurrected and to save her Father from... who?

Oh no.

Tiki dropped the paper weakly, her hands trembling. If her suspicions were right, Hanneman's research had just revealed a very real threat to both Fódlan and everyone else back home.

"Wait a minute. Partial crests..." Hanneman muttered, suddenly widening his eyes and getting up violently.

"W-what?" Tiki asked, her own worries scattered.

"If you will, please retrieve my findings of Professor Byleth from the Archbishop. I think you just cracked my own enigma! And if we're right, this could be an even bigger deal than the other seven classmates of yours!"

Tiki nodded, leaving the room quickly to gather her own panicked thoughts.

Highly unlikely.

* * *

White Dragon Classroom, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"So I heard you and Prince Dimitri had a nice dinner together," Laslow began, his sword and Lucina's temporarily at rest. His sister clearly didn't enjoy that quip and huffed, still catching her breath from their vigorous sparring. 3 to 4, her advantage. If it hadn't been for his little stint in Nohr, it would have been a 0 to 7 contest. She was rather impressed. And now annoyed.

"Hardly a 'nice' dinner. We merely had a meal together before night class yesterday. Corrin and Sylvain were with us too, so don't be calling it a date," she replied, rather annoyed with her brother's teasing.

"Double date. Oh, and that's a lovely dagger," Laslow added, admiring Lucina's latest decoration to her belt. "He has good taste in blades. And women too. You look just like mother, you know that?"

"Stop it," the sister said with a roll of her eyes. She did brush her hand over the dagger thoughtfully, which brought a smile to both of them for slightly different reasons.

"What? You are your mother's daughter after all. You work fast, enrapture a foreign prince within a couple hours-"

"INIGO," Lucina warned sternly.

"Right, right, sorry," the younger sibling laughed, resting on the wall a bit as he stretched his arms. "But seriously, it must come naturally for us. Mom pulled her magic in a couple days too-"

"First off, don't tell me you believe that story. Second off-"

"'First off,' Mom _did_ seduce Dad shortly after they killed Gangrel. Robin told me. In his world _and_ ours."

"Ugh. I still refuse to believe Dad fell for her after a couple dances."

"Hey, don't slander Father like that, Luci. I would have fallen for her too. That sounded weird. Anyways, second?"

"Right. Secondly, Prince Dimitri and I are just friends."

Laslow rolled his eyes at that.

"Haven't heard that one before. Is it just how Felicia and I were _just_ friends?" This particular thought piqued a curiosity from the sister who wanted to know more of her brother's travels in Nohr.

"Ah, that's right. You were going to tell me before... all _this_ happened," Lucina recalled with a large sweep of her hands. "So, you and some Nohrian maid, engaged before we met up again? How did _that_ even happen? I'm more surprised you got a woman to indulge in your company for consecutive dates, let alone a marriage proposal."

"Oof, ouch, Luci. Anyway, I was in Nohr about... two and a half years, a little more than you did in Ylisse." Laslow recalled. "After we escaped from Old Ylisse, I ended up... on a rather long adventure with Owain and Sevvy. We ended up as retainers for Prince Leo and his siblings."

"That's pretty cool actually. So you never made home until now, did you?"

"No. Well, not until Father decided to interrupt Prince Xander and Prince Ryoma's little battle on the border. That was good timing. Did I tell you how Dad thought I was flirting with Mom?"

"...No, and I don't want to. Anyway, go on. Felicia seems nice and I will admit I'm curious."

Something in Laslow's composure broke then and there, and Lucina regretted making him go further. She never asked him and until now, she had thought he had been fine. Still, the Ylissean hid his worries well behind a confident smile, and he continued on with his story.

"Prince Xander would visit Lady Corrin a few times a year to gauge her progress in her studies. She lived in relative isolation, see, so on one of my first visits while the two sparred and caught up and what not, I come across this lovely maid that had no business being a maid at all."

"And you fell head over heels for her. Like every other woman you invited to tea," Lucina guessed. Laslow shook his head though, his smiling more real. As if he were recalling lovely memories instead of getting homesick.

"Eh, not exactly. She wanted to learn how to be as confident as I was, so I told her to flirt with someone. She, despite her better judgement, chose me. _Then_ I fell head over heels for her. Her tea is horrendous though, we'll work on that. Gods, I miss her already. I could go for months without seeing her, you know. But when I would follow my liege to that fortress, it would be like seeing her for the very first time. Ha, it must be the Chrom in me."

"If anything, you are the quick worker here. I'm happy for you though," Lucina congratulated genuinely, giving her brother a bright smile. "I truly am." Laslow reflected it, rubbing his hair bashfully.

"Ha, thanks, Luci. You and Prince Dimitri are quite the pair too. And, just so you know, you _are_ one of the few ladies here that isn't beneath his station. Must be Mother's luck in our blood."

"...I'll ignore that. Still, you must've been homesick. Were you planning on bringing her with you to Ylisse when you found your way back?"

Laslow let out a nervous laugh, pacing around with a shrug.

"Felicia and Xander, all my friends in Nohr? They were my home at that point I'll admit," Laslow sighed. "I... I lost hope of ever seeing anyone again. We all did. After two years... we didn't think we'd ever see you again. We had no proof the Awakening even worked for anyone, not even you. You went first and we got sent to Nohr, so we just assumed we did something wrong and that was that. We would make a new life in Nohr, and hope to forget that we ever tried to save the world."

There was a lie in there somewhere, Lucina could discern, but she made no effort to bring it to light. Whatever secrets Inigo had would stay secrets until he wanted to tell more.

"I'm sorry. I should have let you three go before me. I should have let everyone go before me..."

"Nonsense, your highness," Laslow said with a slight bow. "You are my liege, just as much as you are my sister. We may be the same age now, but remember, back then you were the only one that needed to make it. We all knew that."

"Even Severa? She seemed excited, everything considered."

"_Especially_ Severa. She was the last one out of Ylisse. I think she was trapped with Grima alone for a while. When we found her... She was a little different."

Lucina closed her eyes, shaking her head. "It's okay. She's okay, isn't she? I didn't see her with the two of you when you came back with the Nohrians."

Judging by his face, the Princess feared that she had just stepped on that dirty secret Inigo had been trying to hide for this whole conversation.

"..."

"Inigo, is Severa okay?"

"...No."

"What do you mean?"

"We lost her."

Whatever light that flickered in Lucina's eyes was instantly extinguished.

"...What?"

"A couple weeks before the war would have started... Princess Camilla's forces fell into a conflict with Princess Hinoka's and... We never found the body, so I haven't accepted it either, but Owain's been hiding it. He and Sevvy got real close too and, well..."

"No."

"...We haven't lost hope, but-"

Without warning, Lucina screamed, slamming into the brick wall with enough force to shatter her wooden blade like glass. Silence echoed, even with the stones of the training grounds wall falling out from within the mortar.

The whole classroom froze in silence, and even Prince Dimitri who was working with Byleth seemed ill at ease.

"Sorry everyone," Laslow laughed weakly, pulling Lucina aside, "I just reminded her of some childhood embarrassment, that's all. Sorry Professor. We all can go back to training!"

The guttural cry that the Princess let out was hardly one of embarrassment, but resume the class did, slowly at first. Laslow felt more than a few eyes on the two of them, so he led his sister out for some air, away from the Dragons and the Lions. Before they could make it out the doorway though, they could hear a rather pointed insult.

"Look, Boar. The Princess can break swords just like you."

Lucina turned sharply, looking at Felix with very narrow eyes. Dimitri caught this and abandoned his training with Byleth to confront his classmate.

"I advise you to be better than this, Felix."

"Oh? That's grand, your Highness. Well, if you're done sharpening your tusks for your next slaughter, I want my shot with the Professor now."

"Hold your tongue," the Prince warned, "Or I will be obliged to hold it for you."

"You would, wouldn't you," the Fraldarius fledgling scoffed. "Maybe you two can hold it together," he waved dismissively.

"Felix! She is our-"

* * *

_'Ooh, let them fight! I bet Dimitri will **destroy** that little twerp!'_

'Uh, can't let a student die on my watch. What even happened? I heard Lucina screaming and...'

_'Do you think we should rewind time? Actually, no, I don't want to hear her scream again. That made me... sad, for some reason.'_

'Yeah, I don't think so. Thanks, though, Sothis. I think I can rein them back in on my own.'

_'Alright, alright. Good luck.'_

* * *

"Boys, that's enough," Byleth warned, stepping in before any more hostility could have spread. "If we're going to fight, use your blades. Not your words."

* * *

_'I thought you wanted Felix to survive this.'_

'Perhaps it wasn't the best choice of words.'

* * *

"Fantastic idea, Professor," Felix nodded, drawing his sword and waiting patiently for Dimitri. The Prince ignored him, walking back to Byleth with a scowl. He would apologize to Lucina and Laslow later. He didn't bother looking back at Felix, who had sheathed his sword with an annoyed look on his face.

"What, you're not going to fight? The one time you're in the proper mindset for a spar you-"

"Not me. Him."

Dimitri pointed, forcing Felix to follow the Prince's finger towards his supposed challenger. There stood Laslow, sword already drawn in the Prince's stead.

"What? You? Oh, fine. You're probably wasting my time. What are you going to do, pour tea on me?"

"It's not my business if you don't respect your liege," Laslow warned, getting into a low stance. Talking about Severa had worked him up, and frankly, Felix had a proper punchable face right about now, "But you just insulted my sister."

"I don't say things I don't mean," Felix barked back, leveling his steel.

"En. Garde," the Ylissean Prince commanded, patiently waiting for Felix to make his move.

* * *

Dining Hall, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Cake? I didn't know they had cake."

"I love cake. It's the best food here!"

"Oh, I bet; I might get some. Er, you did get _other_ foods too, right?"

"What, like vegetables?"

"Actually, yeah. Can't have too much of one thing, or else it starts getting boring, you know. "

"Fine. I'll get a salad. Anyway, I love cake too much for it to get boring. And why are you treating me like a child?"

Edelgard watched in relative amusement as her two tablemates exchanged a light banter before eating their meal. She had invited them to lunch as a group, though for reasons yet disclosed. Robin had himself a fairly standard meal, balanced and healthy. Lysithea on the other hand probably had more sugar in her bowl than the entire student body put together.

"Well, I'll be a kid too and get some cake for myself. How about you, Princess Edelgard? Shall I get a second serving for you? It wouldn't be so out of place if all of us are eating it."

It _had_ been a while...

"I would like that, yes. But let's talk first. I'm sure they'll have plenty of cake for the both of us."

Robin sat back down, not in any rush.

"Of course. You did invite us here. Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about. Ah! I think I know! We all have white hair," Robin realized, laughing, but stopping when he noticed he was laughing alone. "Okay, not as funny as I thought."

"You are right, though... It isn't much of a big deal, is it?" Lysithea wondered aloud. "White hair is... just that. We're not very similar, not in personality and not in station."

Ah, so Lysithea was self aware of the situation. Robin, not so much. Odd.

"Perhaps we have our differences," Edelgard reasoned. "But I just thought it would be nice to know the two of you. You're both apt mages and from what I've seen in the library, hard workers. I thought it would be nice to make company with you both."

"Guess I've been had," Robin shrugged. "A library isn't a bad place to be for a few hours at a time. As a foreigner, it's probably my favorite place in the Monastery. Fódlan is amazing from what I've seen."

"I love reading myself," Edelgard added, trying her best to appear on the same level as the two unsuspecting mages. "I meant nothing ill of it."

"I suppose I read quite a bit," Lysithea guessed. "Still, so what? We are at the Officer's Academy. Shouldn't we be learning?"

"Like I said, I meant no harm in saying it," Edelgard assured, clearly not pulling Lysithea at the same rate that she was pulling Robin. "I found those traits admirable and wanted to associate with the more studious among us, that's all."

"Well, Professor Manuela and Byleth are having us run a magic preliminary after our break," the Deer explained, but after saying it, it didn't sound so important."I don't really need to prep much, so... Okay, I can stay."

"I'll be there too," Robin and Edelgard said simultaneously, looking at each other. The tactician laughed while the princess merely smiled.

"Well, as that's that, why don't we talk about magic? What's Professor Manuela having you work on, Lysithea?"

The young mage cleared her mouth of cake with a quick swallow, clearly more open to this topic.

"She's a very skilled healer, so she's helping me work on my white magic. She doesn't like that I'm learning dark magic, but she isn't stopping me either."

"Healing magic and dark magic," Edelgard weighed. "That's an interesting combination. What about you, Robin?"

"Actually, before we talk about me, what's dark magic? Is that the same as black and white magic?" the tactician wondered. "I've heard the term but haven't connected any dots."

"Well, whereas black magic focuses on harnessing the elements of nature," Lysithea explained, "Dark magic focuses on harnessing the elements of emotion: Fear, anger, that sort of thing. It's more powerful and more dangerous. For an untrained mage, that is."

"You sound well-versed," Edelgard noted.

"It's been a passion for... a while. Still, it's hard to delve into and harder still to find texts on, but it's not too uncommon. No one really teaches it though, but the librarian knows a few texts that have helped me so far."

"Ah Tomas. He's a kind guy," Robin said with a smile, which gave Edelgard slight pause. While she knew the librarian's true nature, Robin didn't. If her suspicions were true and Robin was another survivor of an Argathan experiment, that wasn't a relationship that she wanted to flourish. Especially now that Robin's curiosity was fixated on dark magic.

"Yes, he's... resourceful. What is Professor Byleth having you work on then? Surely you knew much of magic from before you set forth on your travels."

Robin nodded, taking a bite out of his fish before answering.

"Well, I primarily focused on lightning-style magic but it seems you guys do things a little differently here in Fódlan. The Professor wants me to learn white magic just like Lysithea, albeit the utility side of things rather than healing. I'm making strides, and I think I can get down Warp by the mock battle."

"Warp?" the two women asked at the same time, both clearly surprised.

"That's a high-level spell and that's no joke. I don't know it- Professor Manuela probably doesn't even know it and she's probably the best white-mage besides the Archbishop herself," Lysithea added.

"Oh she does," Robin corrected. "She helped me with the basics of it yesterday. Here..."

Closing his eyes, the Dragon waved his hand and conjured a bit of magic, and to his satisfaction, two cakes- plates and all- teleported themselves onto their dining table. Robin appeared satisfied, but much to his chagrin, the two ladies didn't give much reaction.

"Aha. Didn't even have to get up. What do you think?"

Lysithea took a cake for herself, shaking her head.

"First off, that's Rescue, not Warp. Secondly... that's cake. Moving a human is totally different-" Robin's eyes widened, nodding rapidly.

"Ah you now what, you're right! Oops, my mistake, got my spells mixed up."

Lysithea shrieked in surprise as she found herself warped across the table to Edelgard's side, albeit facing the wrong way. Still, being isolated from her cake was proof enough, even if she didn't show any acknowledgement.

"H-hey... wait. What? How did..." Lysithea trailed off, quickly getting up to reunite with her sweets. Edelgard nodded in relative surprise, though considering his assumed background, it wasn't much of one. Magical ability- both in learning and demonstration- was potent for a bearer of twin crests. Even a simpleton without a knack for magic, were they to survive an Argathan operation, would find themselves able to cast intermediate level magic with relative ease. Then again, it took a combination of luck and ability to carry through the surgeries required. And here Robin was, learning Rescue and Warp in relatively no time at all. Of course, he could have known it already unconsciously, but that possibility wasn't suspicious enough to warrant concern.

"There. I can't move people very far yet, but I think I could probably move you to the end of the hallway at least," Robin guessed. "And I can cast Rescue from about the same distance, maybe a little more."

"You have talent, that enough is certain," Edelgard mused offhandedly. "Perhaps you had a knack for it as a child?"

It wasn't a _weird_ question, Edelgard thought. No one would bat an eye at it. Still, was it too soon to ask personal things? Or was she getting equally hasty and excited to find the company of not one but two survivors?

"Can't say I remember much of my childhood," Robin replied, veiling his harmless lie carefully. "Maybe I was gifted, who knows. No one told me though. Not until I met C- the people I know now."

"You don't remember your childhood?" Lysithea asked, leading Edelgard to think that she was on the same page as her. Maybe not the page, but at least the same chapter. Amnesia forced from the trauma was a side-effect of the experiments, and Robin just casually gave a big tell. Lysithea could be an amnesiac as well, but she had given no clear signs of it.

And Edelgard, well, she couldn't remember. Not that she wanted to, but no matter how hard she tried to remember specific details, they just weren't there anymore. Something about a warm dance in cold Fhirdiad. But not much else.

"Not anything," Robin explained, showing his cards. "I only have memories... about two years' worth."

"Odd indeed. Very uncommon," Edelgard commented, catching eyes with Lysithea who seemed to realize her aim in that moment.

"I can't say I know many people like me," Robin noted, not realizing what he was walking into. Lysithea got up suddenly, startling the other two.

"...It is strange, but uh- look at the time! I should help the Professor- Bye!"

With that, Lysithea exited the dining hall, her second cake untouched. Robin took it back, looking at Edelgard before digging in.

"We should get ready to go in a few minutes too. What was that about?"

"Oh, she's just busy," Edelgard reasoned, knowing full well she wasn't. It would be rough trying to get her to open up, but Edelgard hoped to earn Lysithea's trust within a few weeks or months. Hopefully before her plans went into full motion. "Am I keeping you too long?"

"I don't mind chatting over a nice lunch," Robin assured, thinking back on cold meals in the hot deserts of Plegia. The way Sumia twiddled her fork around, the way Nowi always sneaked away more fruit than the rations allowed, the way Ricken always tried to eat like Vaike...

"Something on your mind?" Edelgard asked, noting the older tactician lost in his food.

"Just memories. Of times precious to me," Robin thought aloud, not realizing the sentimental weight behind those words.

"Perhaps the memories you have are more important now that you know that some have been lost," Edelgard offered. Robin nodded solemnly at that, leaving his cake for a while to address the princess unobstructed.

"Funny, Lucina bought me a journal just to write about my memories. Just in case I lost them again," he recalled with a dry laugh. "Still she's not wrong. I lost my memories once. The things I've seen, the people I know, I couldn't stand losing them and go on not knowing that I have. I wouldn't want to forget Fódlan either. This is my first time visiting somewhere other than the only place I've ever known and- Wow, I'm really opening up on you, aren't I? Sorry."

"I don't mind at all," Edelgard said with a wave, hiding her true purpose behind a calm smile. "This is my first time learning about a world outside Fódlan as well. You know, if you ever want to talk to me about your home, you can."

"Funny, I was usually the one offering conversations with my old allies," Robin laughed. "Sure, Princess. I will. Heh, maybe I'll just come to you if I forget everything again."

* * *

Black Eagle Classroom, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"You were making good progress, Lady Edelgard. I'm impressed you opened him up that well," Hubert noted, advisor and liege alone in the Black Eagles classroom.

"Me too, actually. He's probably just the talkative sort. Still, Lysithea will require a little more work, but I'm certain they're both subjects of the experiments now. Did you catch everything?"

"He's an accomplished mage on his own right, and now he has learning resources in nearly infinite measure. We should be wary of him until we're certain he's aligned with your aims," Hubert advised. "Lysithea will make a notable ally, seeing how House Ordelia lies in relation to the Empire's border with the Alliance. They haven't much land or resources, but I'm sure they'll be more boon than bane to our cause.

"Agreed. Robin isn't much help, but he is a valuable resource that I can't let fall into the wrong hands. Also, if you can, keep Solon _off_ of him. He probably reported everything to Thales, but the less he knows the better," Edelgard ordered, being very deliberate with her thoughts and words.

"I'll try my best. I'd best get close to him too, lest he get the wrong idea from my... demeanor."

"Yes well, Hubert, you are quite intimidating," Edelgard replied with a smile. "Do be nice to him. I want him on our side."

"Of course, Lady Edelgard."

The Princess rose, noting the sun starting its descent in the sky outside.

"Anyway, I think I have a plan to gain their trust, Lysithea especially. However, my largest concern as of now is Jeritza. I can't say with confidence that he will control himself during the mock battle. Should we order him to stand aside? He'll not enjoy it but it would be to our benefit."

"I think that would be for the best. What should we do then? It's coming in a few days."

"Professor Byleth could lead us. I say we merge the White Dragons and the Black Eagles, if only for a moment. We just have to orchestrate a reason."

"Well, as luck would have it," Hubert realized, "We might just have one. Petra and Ferdinand tell me something happened during sword drills today. Something about House Leader Lucina's brother and the Fraldarius brat."


	7. The Dragon's First Flight

Training Grounds, 23rd Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Goddess, look at them go!"

"Go? They're so quick they're already gone!"

Both Blue Lions and White Dragons stood in relative congregation, pausing their own training to watch the swordsmen from their respective classes go at it in a frenzy-induced duel. Felix was relentlessly fast and his aggressive assault kept Laslow on the defensive. Unfortunately for the Fraldarius scion, the Ylissean had a solid technique honed by years of experience. Pair that with the nimble movements of a dancer, and Felix just couldn't land a hit. The Blue Lion wasn't even compromising his form: Laslow was just that good.

"I was worried for your brother at first, but it seems he knows his way around a fight just as well as you do," Dimitri whispered to Lucina, who didn't visibly react to the compliment. The Princess was still rather downtrodden by the news of Severa's supposed death and offered little more than a grunt in response.

"Well in any case, anyone who can work up a sweat from Felix is well above the common swordsman," Ingrid added quickly to avert attention, looking at her liege in a funny way after gauging Lucina's expressions. "I haven't seen him focus that hard sparring any of us."

"He was Xander's retainer: we already knew that he would be a skilled duelist," Leo mentioned to Corrin, the two being far out of earshot from the two house leaders. "But do you think he was already that good before finding us in Nohr?"

"Maybe he got this good by training with Xander?" Corrin wondered.

"Something had to be there to begin with. I wonder what his history is, what _their_ history is?" Leo continued, following his sister's train of thought. "Regardless, I see now now how the three travelers came to best even our finest knights at the tourney."

"I never had the chance to spar with him myself, but that would make sense if he's showing off now."

"Showing off?" Leo wondered. "Huh. I suppose he usually isn't this... intense."

To be fair, swordsmanship wasn't one of Leo's strong suits, but work ethic was. It was clear Laslow wasn't the most diligent retainer compared to Flora, Effie or Beruka. Even Niles was dependable when he wanted to be. Come to think of it, the three Ylisseans were rather... lazy? Well, for Odin that probably wasn't the right word. But Selena and Laslow didn't seem to be particularly invested in their duties unless it was something rather important. Even Felicia gave things her all, horribly incompetent as she was.

"Usually he's pretty lax. Right now though, he looks pretty worked up," Corrin replied after a brief pause, bringing Leo back to Garreg Mach with a jolt.

"He looks rather upset. Scary, even."

"Felix did just insult Lucina, and I would be quite upset if anyone here mocked you, little brother..." Corrin led on teasingly, causing the mage to punch his slightly shorter sister lightly on the shoulder.

"Let Camilla be Camilla, and not you," the mage groaned. "You aren't scary."

"Hey, I'm plenty scary! I just don't know how to get mad."

* * *

Byleth stood motionless, quite enjoying this fight between two equal swordsmen and taking mental notes on each fighter. She wouldn't stop this little scuffle, injuries likely to occur as they were.

* * *

_'Are you sure you want to work him with axes? He looks well in his element here.'_

_'My father advised me that as a teacher here, it is a poor allocation of time and energy teaching a skilled swordsman to use swords when they have the means and motivation to improve on their own. As an instructor wouldn't it be better to use my time with him to round out his other weaknesses and strengths? Our Dragons have enough swordsmen, and they should all be versatile with many techniques. If I had more time, it would be a different story, but we only have so much.'_

_'Huh. Well, assuming he is motivated, your point is... fair. Well Professor, are you going to stop them yet?'_

'Of course not. This is a good duel. Are you not enjoying it?'

_'What? Why would I enjoy two kids beating themselves with sticks? Shouldn't they be using real swords-'_

You are mocking me. You always mock me.'

* * *

Felix had shifted his technique multiple times over the rather lengthy fight, but no approach yielded any sort of advantage. Laslow's footwork, his instincts, all of them were honed in something far beyond the simple drills or lessons most Faerghus children were familiar with.

He was fighting a veteran.

Laslow's movements were efficient, precise. The young Dragon had cut down people before, Felix realized. Each step had a purpose, each motion an aim. His eyes betrayed none of his intentions, nor did his measured strikes offer any sort of opening.

The prospect balked him at first; how could a young flirtatious scatterbrain like Laslow be this seasoned in something so drastically clashing with his outward nature? From what he had seen this week, all Laslow cared for was a conversation over tea and the company of the fairer sex. Unlike Sylvain though, he seemed fully content with their company and there was no self-destructive nor jaded motive behind those little chats, which led even Ingrid and Annette to share a cup with him for an hour or two. All in the entirety of a few days, the Archanean had charmed his way into the female populace of Garreg Mach.

And in all that time, not once had he seen Laslow train any more than any other student. He wasn't hardworking, nor did he train with the intensity his sister or the boar did. So why couldn't he get past his guard? It wasn't like Laslow was holding back either. On the contrary, both of them were getting quite tired, Felix a little more than he would admit. Just where did that experience come from?

* * *

Laslow's rage-fueled adrenaline had worn off a while ago, so it was up to the fundamentals he had ingrained in him to see him through. Felix was good, sure.

Not nearly as good as Lucina or Xander.

Come to think of it, if it came down to the matter, Xander would probably demolish all three of them at once.

In all his two years of servitude to the Nohrian, Laslow had managed to clench a solid blow maybe three times. This victory would be earned with a couple cracked ribs or perhaps a broken finger. Still, a sweet prize that was satisfactory to the dancer was worth the slight discomfort of injury, especially since Elise had no problem healing him or Peri after their duels with the High Prince.

So what was a brat with a loose tongue compared to the Risen or Hoshidans he had slain?

The boy couldn't have been younger than Laslow by much. His techniques were there, which led Inigo to acknowledge that there was some action behind the Fraldarius boy's words. He wasn't as highly experienced as he would assume though, which was odd considering that the soldiers of Faerghus seemed busier than anyone else on Fódlan barring the Knights of Seiros.

Still, not once had he provided Laslow with a proper opening.

The Inigo that went through the portal to the supposed future was a pretty decent swordsman. After all, one needed to be to survive the Risen that had swarmed over Ylisse and the rest of Archanea. With the blood of the Hero-King Marth paired with Feroxian vigor boiling through his veins, nothing would stop him from saving his father and mother from the cruel fate that awaited them.

The Inigo that ended up in Nohr -blessed by a mysterious and potent power- was a pretty strong swordsman. After all, he had disarmed Xander's assassin after he, alongside Owain and Severa, trounced that tournament they had found themselves in. No easy feat, which earned him a spot in Krakenburg's elite to be put through the paces of a retainer to the royalty of Nohr. The three of them made it through of course- Inigo and Owain had the Exalted blood paired with Anankos' blessings, while Severa was just the child to two of the strongest Shepherds in Ylisse. No big deal.

The Laslow that reunited with his father, mother and sister was a very remarkable swordsman. After all, he had survived two years of Hoshidan-Nohrian conflict. He had survived the Risen. He spent every moment of training with Xander, who was probably the strongest fighter in Nohr. When no one was around, he found time to practice his mother's dance. He had even found a love to cherish, to fight for. A partner that he could call his own.

By all accounts, Felix should have winded himself after a few minutes and Laslow would put a wooden splinter in the boy's ear or neck. Well, fate was cruel and blessed Felix with a solid grasp on swordplay. He wasn't Xander or Lucina, but Laslow would have to work for the win. Of course, he could tap into his Anankosian powers, but seeing that Azura or Corrin couldn't, it was fairly certain that he wouldn't have any in the tank either. Plus, it wouldn't be much fun beating the Fraldarius brat with something that wasn't inherently within.

When he was a boy taking his studies in Ylisstol, the instructor would often use a small wooden implement to inflict momentary discomfort to the young Inigo's palms.

Laslow would use a much larger wooden implement to inflict a momentary trauma to the young Fraldarius' head.

* * *

He was well on his way, having opened up Felix's slighter frame with a weighty charge of the shoulder. Ducking under the slice that came in response to being tackled, Laslow brought his sword full heel towards Felix's face which was hastily blocked by his opponent's left hand, definitely injuring the wrist and the palm from the impact.

With the Blue Lion now stunned, Laslow brought his sword once more downwards, hoping to end the rather lengthy fight.

That was, if not for the wall quickly crumbling behind Lucina.

"Shit!"

Everyone in the room turned, eyeing the small hole that had turned into a very large one and was rapidly turning into a fully collapsed pile of stones and dust. Apparently Lucina had hit it in just the right spot that it compromised the entire wall's integrity, which had resulted in the very rapid and very thorough disintegration of the ancient stones of the training ground structure.

Leave it to Lucina to break walls even across worlds.

Some students realized that the exclamation of 'shit' didn't come from Lucina nor anyone else they could recognize. Those students also caught the very rapid retreat of a white-clad figure, who had dashed from beyond the hole into what appeared to be some tunnel network going underground. Apparently the intruder wasn't expecting the wall to not be there as soon as they crossed the fold into the Training Ground exterior.

"That's a person? There was a person behind the wall!" Mercedes wondered aloud.

There would be no time to investigate though, as Byleth had quickly ordered the evacuation of the training hall building. Three walls should be enough to keep up a roof, but one couldn't be too safe. Whoever that figure was would have to just be reported to the Advisor later on today. As well as the loss of the Training Grounds.

* * *

Advisor's Office, 23rd Afternoon of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I find it incredibly implausible that a young woman holding a wooden sword would break walls that have been standing for the last fifty years, but I suppose I will have to take your word for it, Professor." Seteth said slowly, rubbing his chin. Leave it to fate that the moment Hanneman leaves the Blue Lions for his research, something happens with the students left behind.

Hiring more contractors for repairs would be troublesome, but it had been a while since renovations took place and the project would fill up fast with eager craftsmen. With some workers already working on adding a fourth classroom in the Officer's Academy for the Dragons/Wolves, a few more repairing the training grounds wouldn't be so strange. Material costs were hardly an issue, as any noble seeking to improve their merit would be eager to finance the venture. "Yes, I don't think this will be much of an issue," he decided. Byleth looked relieved, at least that's what Seteth could get from what little on her face actually moved.

"Thank you Seteth. Is there any thing our class can do to-" The advisor halted the professor's query with a raised hand.

"Those two boys will be enough. Direct them to my office after your lunch. I will deal with them accordingly. You may go."

"Alright. Well, there's... one more thing," Byleth continued, not going away quite yet.

"Yes?"

"There was a person behind the wall."

Seteth's eyebrows raised, this news far less surprising than the incident before it.

"When it broke, it revealed some sort of tunnel network that he retreated into-"

"That is outside your jurisdiction, Professor. Let's leave the issue at that."

"But-"

"I assure you, Professor, that there is no cause for concern. Rhea and I have already known about this conclave for a while and it's best that you not involve yourselves with them- what is below the Monastery."

"...Very well. That concludes my report."

With that, Byleth left the quiet office, leaving the door open for Tiki who had just come back from the dining hall with lunch for two. The two women stood outside the door, Byleth awkwardly keeping the door open with her off-hand, glancing between Seteth and her student.

"Hello Professor," Tiki began, smiling brightly and ignoring Seteth for the time being even as she held his food.

"Tiki," Byleth responded, doing in kind. "Are you doing well up here?"

"Yes, I'm adjusting thanks to Seteth and the Archbishop." Tiki replied, dancing a little curtsy with her Nabatean-styled dress. "I'm looking forward to the mock battle! I've been working hard, just like the rest of the Dragons."

It was little quirks like these that gave Seteth second thoughts onto the actual age of the Manakete before him. According to her own claims Tiki was older by a few millennia (Naga wasn't that much older than Rhea and him) but here she was still in full possession of childish mannerisms. Then again, Rhea and Manuela both had complained that Seteth had 'a stick up his ass' in the words of the latter and 'a harsh disposition' in the words of a former, but the words were nonetheless synonymous despite the difference in tone. He was not so advanced in years for a Nabatean, especially not so old that he deserved to be called senile.

"That's good to hear. Let's catch up over tea later this week. I'm eager to learn about your progress," the Professor replied, her smile not coming from her lips but rather her voice.

The Professor's voice had a rather calming tone, Seteth would admit. When it fluctuated like it just did in a cheerful arc, it could even be charming for lack of a better term. Flayn wouldn't shut up about how kind the new Combat Professor was, bugging her brother with late night stories in their shared apartment about her chats and meals with her newfound friend. Perhaps Byleth was from the same branch as her father: Trustworthy, but with secrets and motives not particularly aligning with the Church. A good head was on her shoulders, if anything else.

Tiki's voice was strangely relaxing too, Seteth thought. Maybe it was the grating complaints from Manuela, the deadpan strictly-business tone of Shamir, and the forced serenity that Rhea exhibited that made Tiki's youthful nature... refreshing. She wasn't bombastic like Flayn, good heavens no, but she wasn't _boring_ either. Flayn hadn't much opportunity to converse with the dragon like she had with Byleth, but eventually the two would have to become acquainted.

And that accent... it was rather charming on its own too. She wasn't from Vestra territory, was she? No, the Vestra dialect was rather sinister, if Seteth was being honest. Tiki's accent was... hm, exotic? No, not quite. Perhaps sophisticated. Yes, despite the childish moments in her disposition, there was this regal air about her.

It would be nice if she got along with Flayn.

Still, in this seemingly perfect moment in this perfect land, Seteth had always been the voice of reason, and not even a stick up his ass would hamper that caution. Tiki and Byleth were strangers, along with the entire White Dragon class. Storm clouds were brewing over the Nabatean refuge that was Garreg Mach, and Seteth was sure lightning would follow if he let down his guard. Rhea could be so trusting, but the woman was also smart. Cunning, more like. There were things she could plot that he could not imagine, so the best Seteth could be was consistent in accordance to the tenets of Seiros, which they had laid down so many generations ago.

It would be nice to have just one more Nabatean with them, to make this empty world a little more perfect.

Footsteps faded into the distance and Byleth had descended the stairs back to the first floor. Tiki sat down, giving Seteth his lunch as well as retrieving her own.

* * *

C

* * *

"I assume you heard? Ah, my thanks," Seteth asked, nodding his head to thank Tiki for fetching his meal for him.

"Grilled herring as you requested. I got some for myself too, seeing as my fellow classmates had taken most everything else. Anyway, that was Abyss, right? The tunnels the Professor found? I heard you and Rhea say the word in passing a couple times," Tiki asked, sitting down next to the Advisor as she sorted through the less important paperwork. "I saw the hole Lucina made. A tunnel network underneath this big monastery. Very spooky."

"Among other things, it is the base for many of our intelligence gathering networks here at Garreg Mach. Shamir and Gilbert are in charge of that, and I oversee the entirety of the project after... some disagreements with the Cardinals happened a few years ago."

"What other things?" Tiki wondered, wondering why Garreg Mach would need such an intricate spy network.

"Well, those who are... outcast from normal civilization take up residence at the base of Mount Garreg Mach. The tunnels go far into the mountain, and we see to it that a convoy of merchants and suppliers provide resources and services for those that are otherwise excluded from the normal society we live in."

Tiki thought about it for a while, recalling a few hermits who chose to live at the base of the Mila Tree. Thinking it to be of a similar vein, she didn't find any reason to be entirely suspicious of this 'Abyss.'

"So it's not much of a secret?" Tiki asked.

Seteth shook his head, rolling up his sleeves in preparation to eat. "Many of the church staff know, but we have little dealings with the residents of Abyss. Unless the few situations that come about demand it, the world above and the world beneath are isolated from each other. Of course, the church faculty in charge of affairs down there keep contact with us in the form of monthly reports. What Byleth found was likely one of their messengers on their way to giving a progress report to the Cardinal in charge of Abyssian affairs- Aelfric."

"Do the students know?"

"It's a sort of urban legend among the graduates, being passed down through word of mouth. No one has seen it that I know of, and for their protection, we have a quarantine set down in Abyss that restricts contact with the Monastery."

"So that tunnel..."

"A labyrinth that the messengers use as a covert of sorts. Abyss has been in place for a few decades, though it has risen in official status as of late thanks to Aelfric spearheading reforms down there to make it more... lawful. I admire his efforts, though I can imagine it brings a lot of unnecessary light to Abyss as a whole."

"I see. You fear for Abyss' denizens being exposed to those who mean them harm?"

Seteth nodded, reaching for a cloth to wipe some excess sauce from his neatly trimmed beard. "Many Abyssians eventually return to society. Then again, many of them stay for a reason."

"They aren't criminals, are they?" Tiki asked innocently.

"...Not for the most part, no," Seteth replied in defense. "Unsavory, perhaps. But not incriminated. But that's enough of that. Your class will have the opportunity to work with Abyss agents later on, which is why I withheld information from your Professor. The last thing I need is for her to become curious."

"Oh?" Tiki wondered, not really sensing much reason for distrust. What she was sensing though was the fish she had procured for herself. It wasn't that the Advisor was boring, but this food was a little more interesting than he was at the moment.

Had she always liked fish this much? Chon'sin cuisine was... odd. Admittedly, she wasn't much of a fan for fish in general, but the way they cooked it here in Fódlan was delicious. Seteth didn't seem particularly invested in Tiki's ravenous decimation of the herring, leaving the manakete to continue with her meal earnestly.

"There have been some issues arising in Kingdom territory these last few weeks, and I would like your class to accompany our knights to investigate. It will help me get a true sense of your abilities. After the mock battle... Yes, around that time."

"You still don't trust me? Er, us?"

She was a keen one, Seteth observed. Then again, he wasn't being very stealthy in his attempts to hide his distrust.

"I do not. Still, the feeling is mutual, is it not? I will be as honest as I can, Tiki. That is all I can hope to be."

"Well, that's appreciated. I would prefer you believe us, but you and Rhea have been holding up quite a cover-story as well. I suppose we are both in the wrong."

"That is quite unfair to put me on Rhea's side. Were it up to me, the Church of Seiros..."

Seteth stopped there. He wouldn't have stopped Rhea. He was the voice of reason, sure, but he was never authoritative, especially not a thousand years ago. A younger Cichol was never the one to lead the charge, to draft the plans.

Young Cichol was just an honest Nabatean in a world of dishonest schemers.

"Never mind the thought. Hindsight is always sharper," he halted the conversation there, shaking his head.

"No, you had your thoughts composed. You should say what's on your mind," the older Manakete goaded.

"You are not my confidante, Tiki."

The woman looked dejected, but shrugged it off as she continued her meal. Seteth was worried he had offended his assistant, but her cheeriness was otherwise unscathed.

"I suppose not. Not yet, at least. Fine then, tell me something else."

"Something else?"

"What do you think of us?" Tiki wondered. "Of me?"

Seteth pursed his lips, not liking how his underling was free to lead the conversation to wherever she so desired.

"I would prefer you and the Dragons to be worthy of our trust," Seteth said carefully, repeating Tiki's words from a moment before. "Especially you. I would like to believe your story is true out of anyone in your house. If what you have said is true, I would like for nothing more than to welcome you as one of our own. But not yet."

"...Well that's rather profound," Tiki replied with a smile. "I suppose I would be incapable of tearing down that belief, even if I tried."

"I'll believe it when I do. But for now, let's get back to work," Seteth ordered, putting away his neatly cleaned plate and resuming his methodical approach to the documents before him.

"No no no, I want to hear more. You did kidnap me from my class," the older Manakete teased, taking the Advisor's quill from the inkwell to prevent any work from being accomplished.

"Hardly," Seteth groaned. "You are not a hostage. And you are certainly free to leave whenever you want." He took back the quill, not liking all the ink that was splotching on his rich Seirosian Mahogany desk.

"Ah, but I'm 'Assistant to the Advisor' and I shan't neglect my duty to the Church..."

"..."

"At least laugh. You are boring."

"And you are talking with your mouth full."

"Hey- ahem," Tiki finished chewing quickly, wiping her mouth with her handkerchief before tossing it aside. "I'm trying to get along with you."

"You're doing quite well. I enjoy your company," Seteth replied. He wasn't smiling, but the honesty in his voice made him sound quite sincere. The woman paused, taken aback from the admission and stowing away her next volley of banter. Seteth took a little satisfaction from her surprise, chuckling as he signed off a document with quill and wax seal.

"...Oh." Tiki looked to her empty plate, than back to the Advisor, then back to her empty plate, and then to the stacks of papers yet un-filed.

"...If you've had enough boredom for the day, I can handle these. You can return to your class."

Tiki sighed, putting away her soiled plate atop Seteth's. To the advisor's surprise, she picked up the finished stack of signed documents and began to catalog them, sitting back in her chair across him.

"I'm enjoying myself too."

Seteth huffed to himself, joined by Tiki's light giggle. They sorted papers for while, not a sound in the office besides Seteth's quill scratching along the parchment and Tiki's hands deftly folding the documents or applying wax seals to each of the envelopes.

"By the Goddess!" Hanneman yelped in his office, prompting a jolt from Tiki and a sigh from Seteth. "It's revelation after revelation!"

"At least one of us is finding joy in our work," Tiki laughed.

"Oh, that reminds me. I'll be splitting up your class for the mock battle."

Tiki looked surprised, tilting her head. "Why is that?"

"Ignoring the fact that Lucina has just destroyed your classroom, the mock battle is meant to gauge the students, not so much your class. You are all accomplished mercenaries, no? I frankly have doubts believing that tale considering your entire class is comprised of royalty and bears Crests, but that is the story you have given us and we will choose to believe it for now. Back to my point, I want to analyze the other classes' performance without them having to worry about a group of mercenaries. You will be able to assist, of course, but that is up to house leader discretion."

"That makes sense," Tiki replied, not so disappointed as she should have been. "Byleth- Professor Byleth was very eager to win the mock battle. She'll be disappointed, wouldn't she?"

"That is none of my concern," Seteth replied with a wave of his hand. "She is a mercenary that has bested countless foes. Beating a group of children wouldn't be much sport for her."

"I see. Well, I am still looking forward to it."

* * *

Reception Hall, 24th Morning of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Excellent, we're all here. Good morning, students," Seteth began, giving the students the same briefing he had given Tiki yesterday.

"...to pick among the White Dragons to reinforce your class during the mock battle..."

Claude yawned his way through the whole thing, missing probably half of the words streaming unenergetically out of Seteth's mouth. Fast forward a few minutes, and he found himself waking up from his daydreams next to the other house leaders around a table. He stole a peek past Dimitri's shoulders to find Azura laughing at him silently, shaking her head. She had gotten the same amount of sleep he had, which wasn't saying much, but the songstress seemed to hide her fatigue a little better than the Leicester archer. She was teaching him a little 'Hoshidan' and it wasn't going very well. Beautiful on paper and in song, but horrible for an Almyran boy to remember with just late night tutelage.

Meanwhile Azura could already write a few Almyran characters quite accurately, despite never knowing the language at all. Oh well, Claude thought. Some just learned faster than others. That was life.

"...And I'm sure Claude heard every word," Edelgard noticed, shaking her head too albeit with a bit more disdain. She hadn't caught the target of his gaze but she knew full well that the Leicester heir wasn't quite there in the moment.

"Well, the Blue Lions won last year's Mock Battle. Would anyone object to Prince Dimitri having first pick?" Seteth asked, to the shaking of heads of the two other nobles around him.

The White Dragons were at another table nearby, chatting among themselves while they were waiting to be split apart. Everyone in the class had a guess as to which leader would pick them, so they weren't exactly invested in any sort of suspense. The Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer sat at their own tables, ready to absorb their newly hired strength as their own.

"...In that case, I would like to recruit Princess Lucina, if that's alright," Dimitri began to the absolute surprise of no one. Lucina nodded, rising and moving over to join the Blue Lions at their table. Receiving a blue cape akin to the one Dimitri wore, she quietly folded up her white one and replaced it with that of the Blue Lions. Seteth wrote her name down in the Blue Lions roster, looking to Edelgard once he was done.

"Alright. Princess Edelgard, who would you like to-"

"Professor Byleth," Edelgard said almost instantly after, earning a nod from Hubert.

"Wait, you could've picked her?" Dimitri asked in a rather terrified tone, much to Claude and Edelgard's amusement.

"I don't see why not. There are nine of them and three of us," Edelgard replied.

"...I didn't think of that either, to be honest. Hm, Tiki!" Claude suggested, hoping that he had nabbed a power-hitter like Edelgard and Dimitri had. Lucina was a swordsman just a little weaker than the Professor, while Byleth was a free win. Tiki... well, Claude wasn't exactly sure but she was strong, right?

"Dimitri, for your second pick?" Seteth asked, scrawling away on his clipboard.

"Laslow. I kind of need Felix to focus and he's going to be chasing you all day if you're on another team. Plus, I wouldn't separate you from your sister," Dimitri explained.

"I wouldn't want to fight her either," Laslow laughed, sitting between a pleased Lucina and a pissed Felix at the Blue Lion 'table' behind the Crown Prince. "Guess I'm a Blue Lion for the time being."

"I'd like to have Robin," Edelgard replied, just as quickly as she had decided with Byleth. Lysithea perked up, realizing that Edelgard's little interrogation earlier this week had some purpose after all.

"Someone's been drafting a winning ensemble," Claude chuckled, earning a bit of Hresvelgian ire. "Alright, alright. Prince Takumi, you're an honorary Golden Deer for the week. If we both shoot Edelgard's shiny forehead at the same time, one of us ought to hit, right?"

"I'm the best archer here. I don't miss," Takumi grumbled, moving next to Tiki at the table closest to Claude. Claude was a skilled archer on his own right. But the Hoshidan really didn't want to antagonize Edelgard. He may have sneaked a peek at her during training. She was really... _really_ toned underneath that uniform. And those were muscles that wouldn't exactly feel good when contracted while holding an axe near Takumi's face.

"Alright, last pick. Prince Dimitri?"

"Prince Leo. And that is absolutely not because Annette and Mercedes are horrible at whispering." The Blue Lion narrowed his eyes at the two girls at his house table, the two quickly cowering behind Dedue.

"I think-"

"-Azura!" Claude quickly interjected, halting Edelgard's final request. "Sorry, Princess. I called it first."

"...Corrin," Edelgard said slowly in reply, not exactly planning to pick the songstress anyway.

"Please do not stab me where anyone can see," Azura asked humbly to Corrin, parting from her dearest companion as she made her way over to the Golden Deer table.

"Likewise," Corrin laughed, joining Byleth and Robin at the Black Eagle table. Strange, with the three of them together, things felt kind of... familiar? Huh. The sensation was gone, as quickly as it had come. Odd. She scratched her head, revealing the pointed tips of her ears for just a few seconds before her hair obscured them once more.

Edelgard looked quickly to Hubert, nodding to his own gesture.

"Wise decisions all around."

Seteth rose, handing each of the class leaders a new roster.

"For the time being, the White Dragon house is disbanded until after the Mock Battle. Class will continue as usual using these assigned rosters. The Blue Lions class will be supervised and taught by myself for this period in their own classroom. For the mock battle, please be aware that all eleven members of your house plus your Professor will be fielded this year, minus their mounts. That is all. Dismissed."

* * *

Golden Deer Classroom, 24th Morning of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I appreciate you realizing my talents, but do you really think we can take down Professor Byleth, Professor Jeritza and Edelgard all at once?" Takumi wondered, enjoying the cool air of the classroom far more than the training grounds the White Dragons were used to.

"I have full faith we can," Claude lied, ever feigning the image of a courageous leader even as his face contorted and his shoulders deflated. "Okay, I'll be realistic; I'm really hating Edelgard right now. I like finding my way up out of a rough start, but there are some deficits you just don't come back from without a real miracle."

"Well that's encouraging," Manuela grumbled, not quite eager on getting beat down by three of the strongest hitters in the monastery all at once. A strategist she was not. She could only pray her body would be identifiable in the mud after this massacre.

"I agree with Claude," Azura sighed, seated between Hilda and Leonie. "Edelgard knew who she wanted to recruit right away, and probably judged among us the strongest of the nine for her own selection. No offense to us, of course, but I really don't see us taking down the Black Eagles in a straight fight."

Now would be a very good time for her pendant to start working. Well, this was a mock battle. Not quite worth sacrificing moments of her life for. Still, she never won anything as a kid. She kind of wanted to feel how winning felt.

"...Unless of course we team up with the Blue Lions," Claude thought out loud.

Eleven heads turned to the Riegan heir.

"Not only will that make Seteth disqualify us, but I doubt they would even coordinate movements with us," Lysithea huffed. Still, the idea was a good one, if one could sneak it past the Advisor who would be overseeing the battle.

Surprisingly, Lorenz came to the rescue, agreeing with the Leicester scion loathe as he was to admit the fact.

"I'm not one for underhanded tactics, but Princess Edelgard was keen and prescient to bolster her strength with the most powerful of the Dragons. Our might put together with that of the Blue Lions might just be enough to split their forces. We don't have to engage the Blue Lions directly... At least, not right away."

"Exactly," Claude agreed. "It's a wager, but if Dimitri charges for Edelgard first which I truly believe he will, we can skirt along the boundaries and let loose a fusillade of fire upon them. We have quite a few archers and mages among us, so the problem is keeping their aggression off of us until it's time to strike. I don't know if any of us can take down Edelgard or Dimitri in close combat though. Anyone feeling confident with their dueling? Hilda? Raph?"

Hilda shook her head, rubbing her blistered palms gingerly.

"I'll punch Edelgard down! I could probably toss the Princess pretty far," Raphael offered.

"Eh... I don't know about that, but that's a start," Claude replied, not reassured in the slightest.

"If it comes down to it, I will fight them," Tiki spoke up, her Nabatean robes glowing by the fireplace light, the Sword of Seiros shining on her hip. "And I will win."

"We appreciate the confidence Tiki, I'm sure," Claude replied with a nervous nod, "But are you certain you can beat them both?"

"Well, to be honest, no. But no one else seems up for it. I've faced many things in my life. With you all by my side, I think I can take those two."

"...Right," Claude winced, not too taken by Tiki's hopeful pledge. Looks like it was time for a gambit. It was time for these schoolkids to receive some notes out of the old schemer playbook.

"Say, Professor Manuela?"

"Yes?" the professor replied, wondering how expensive funeral preparations would be for Academy Faculty.

"What's the standing rule on fire and pitfalls?"

* * *

Blue Lions Classroom, 25th Afternoon of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Seteth nonchalantly scribbled through paperwork, even as his surroundings erupted into utter chaos with the Blue Lions discussing their method of warfare for the coming battle.

"We charge right down the middle," Dimitri decreed. Lucina and Dedue were the only ones even remotely close to agreeing with this plan, either loyal to the death in the case of the latter or craving Byleth's head in the case of the former. Ingrid winced instantly and Sylvain could only laugh nervously at that idea.

"With all due respect your Highness, what the fu-"

"It's a horrible idea, boar."

"...I'm sorry but I'm siding with Felix and Sylvain on this one, your Highness," Ingrid concluded, looking to her childhood friends with the solemn realization that this week could very well be their last.

"You don't think we can take them?" Lucina wondered, scratching her head.

"Uh, no," Laslow replied, wondering if his sister had hit her head on something very hard, or perhaps she hit her head very hard on something, regardless, she had far too much bravado to consider taking on two houses at once. "What makes you think we're getting past, uh, everyone?"

To Lucina, Dimitri's plan was solid. A glorious charge right down the field, splitting both Black Eagles and Golden Deer asunder, taking out each of the professors one by... one... Oh.

Yeah, this was going to be a problem.

Lucina's nose was still sore from the sorting Byleth had so soundly given her a few days before. All of a sudden, she wasn't so sure she could take out her teacher.

"Ignoring Edelgard who is likely to act upon us as an axe does to firewood, Professor Byleth who singlehandedly slew all eight White Dragons in one go, and Professor Jeritza, who, emerging several hours after sparring with said Professor Byleth unscathed, recites requiems to the fishing pond and stares off into the horizon like some sort of aspect of death," Sylvain started, counting each name off with his fingers.

"Hubert, who is probably the scariest meanie I have ever met," Annette mentioned.

"Claude, Takumi, Ignatz, and Leonie, who between the four of them will likely turn more than one of us into a collection of arrows," Ingrid joined in.

"Professor Byleth," Lucina groaned, still not coming to terms with that last part.

Seteth feared that these young ones were not going to make it back to the monastery whole. He would requisition coffins. He would requisition a nicer one for Hanneman.

"Ferdinand von Aegir," Mercedes added, "who is in fact, Ferdinand von Aegir, rightful heir to the Aegir name!"

"What does that even mean?" Laslow-

"Hilda, who can probably toss the boar to the Goddess herself," Felix grunted.

"Robin and Lysithea, both super strong mages!" Annette offered, much to Leo's chagrin.

"Raphael, who could probably eat all of them at once," Ashe mentioned.

"Professor Byleth," Lucina whimpered again, her conviction wavering.

"And Professor Byleth, yes we know Luci," Laslow winced. "As you can well see, Your Highness, things aren't looking too bright if we charge right into that assortment of powerful foes-"

"All the reason why we should," Leo spoke up, an idea coming to mind. Eleven pairs of eyes turned to the Nohrian heir, and the sorcerer in training only smiled in return.

"I think everyone knows we'll take the initiative, that much is obvious," Leo began. "We are Knights of Faerghus, are we not?"

"Technically, you... okay fine for the time being you are. Yes, the idea is not to charge so we don't all die in the first minute of the mock battle," Sylvain clarified.

"So we feint a charge, but pull back just out of range of their archers. We don't have ranged artillery on the same caliber as the other houses, but we do have speed and skill on our side. And judging by the terrain, we do have a way to nullify their range if we can trap them in the woodline."

"I will take down Edelgard," Dimitri nodded.

"I can beat the Professor. I know I can!" Lucina replied, her will found and restored.

"We can bait out their defensive line to overextend, allowing some of us to break through and take out their leadership and their mages under the cover of our own magic and archers... archer. Do we really only have one?"

"Hey, I'm pretty good with the bow," Ashe defended. "Leave it to me!"

"Right. Anyway, I don't think the Golden Deer will engage the Black Eagles right away, no. They'll see what we're going to do. That gives us about 20 seconds to wipe out the Black Eagles before the Golden Deer catch us in a pincer. Some of us should still be standing after then."

"Are you trying to sacrifice us?" Ingrid wondered incredulously.

"Yes."

"And why are you trying to sacrifice us?" Sylvain asked, not quite ready to become a martyr.

"Because I want to beat the Professor. If we beat the Professor, that's better than a win."

"...Uh, losing isn't quite as good as a win. We can beat Professor Byleth and still lose."

"And who says we will?" Leo smiled back.

* * *

Black Eagles Classroom, 26th Evening of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I'm expecting Dimitri to charge in recklessly. He will no doubt clash into both of the houses at once," Robin predicted, stealing the Black Eagle chalkboard for his own personal use. "Provided we can assure that he doesn't get the win right away, he'll leave his formation wide open to counter-attack. Then again, he and the Lions are incredibly strong in close combat. If they do break our line we are quite done for, with or without the Golden Deer to interfere."

"Claude will hang back, seeing where he can press his advantage and maybe even team up with the stronger house to wipe out the other," Corrin suggested, pairing with Robin to complete the diagram. "He's crafty and knows he can't push us back but he can still outmaneuver us. Which is why a few of us should focus on wiping out Professor Manuela first."

"I suggest the rest of us maintain this strong defensive line. Claude has ranged options but proper positioning of our formation in the woodline can nullify their ability to whittle us down," Byleth concluded, her ideas visualized on the board. "We have ranged options of our own in the form of magic. Our arrows will be useless if they get close but magic should still pin them down if they get inside our perimeter."

"I will comply to this strategy," Hubert decided. "Lady Edelgard will not fall to a clumsy charge."

"Nor will I fall to Claude's schemes. You three figured out a plan rather quickly," Edelgard complimented, nodding to the the three Dragons who just so happened to be excellent tacticians.

To the surprise of no one, Byleth had an excellent grasp of tactics: her father was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros and leader of possibly the most successful mercenary company that operated in Fódlan. Regarding the Blade Breakers, Edelgard would be surprised if Byleth wasn't as good as she was, to be honest. Still, it was impressive to watch talent at work. Not that Edelgard was any less aware of tactics, but she admired skill when she saw it.

Robin was a pleasant surprise. He was cunning for sure, studious and had a grasp of the magical unknown. But tactics and strategy were different languages, ones that Robin spoke just as fluently, if not more so than magic. Just by looking at the terrain, he had sketched out a solid formation, planning for any contingencies quite accurately on people he had known for little more than a week.

Corrin was a rather problematic revelation. She was probably the least experienced out of the three, but the formation she had just drawn was solid and had no glaring weakness, the opposite rather: it was impressive. Yes, a strike to Manuela would be essential; breaking the Golden Deer formation was probably more of a priority than staving off the Blue Lions charge. Corrin wasn't analytical like Byleth was, nor was she deeply intellectual and empathetic like Robin. To be honest she hadn't given Edelgard the impression of having much intelligence at all. Still, with this little display she couldn't underestimate Corrin when the time came for more drastic actions later this year.

Of course, Edelgard was the mastermind behind it all. Robin and Byleth were must-have at the selection of Dragons, and it just so happened that Claude didn't want Corrin anyway. This was a grand opportunity to watch the three work, and hopefully get some more intelligence on Tiki and Corrin as to who they were and what their aims were here. Maybe even a blood sample? These battles did get heated after all.

"Ferdinand von Aegir and Professor Jeritza should charge ahead once Dimitri crashes against us," Corrin advised, "See if you can advance under our cover of magic and arrows to eliminate Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela."

"You do not order me around-"

"Professor!" Edelgard snapped, glaring at Jeritza sternly.

"...I will do so," the masked rider changed his mind quite quickly, bowing in apology to both Princesses.

"Our priority is protecting Professor Jeritza," Robin assured, "Which will be very easy to do because he won't be in the thick of things. While we, worst case scenario, occupy both Blue Lions and Golden Deer, you two should be sufficient to disrupt their leadership. We're not allowed to use our horses but when the battle is in full swing, no one will be chasing after you. I don't think Professor Manuela will lead with Claude among the Deer but it's better to be safe than sorry. Should the worst come to pass I can use Rescue magic to bring back Professor Jeritza. Sorry Ferdinand von Aegir."

"I will sacrifice myself as a noble ought to-"

"As for the Blue Lions, we have a few contingencies in place," Corrin began, taking over the chalkboard. We have Professor Byleth, myself, Princess Edelgard, and Caspar here to hold the line, while Robin, Petra, Bernadetta, Hubert, and Linhardt stay further inside the treeline. I'm not prepared to lose any of us but if the worst comes to pass, we have Robin and Petra to reinforce the front. The Blue Lions have Dimitri, Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, and... who even knows who else will be part of their charge. Let's just expect everyone. When they're there, Professor Hanneman, Annette, Mercedes, Ashe and Leo will be exposed. If Ferdinand von Aegir and Professor Jeritza can make quick work of their supporting element, that's half of the Blue Lions down."

"In addition, when Professor Jeritza and Ferdinand von Aegir complete their mission, I think I can warp Princess Edelgard far enough behind the Blue Lion charge or the Golden Deer at the outskirts and trap them in a pincer, depending on who the greater threat is."

Excellent points all around, Edelgard considered. Were it up to her, she would probably bait out Dimitri and Claude specifically, but with these 12 man battles, they would be tricky to isolate. She was grateful to have Robin and Byleth on her side all things considered, while Corrin was still a wild card. Still, this was a chance for intelligence most of all, as sporting as a mock battle was.

"And what of your classmates?" Hubert wondered, baiting out the question that was sitting on Edelgard's lips for a while. Robin and Corrin looked to Byleth, who took over for them.

"I feel no satisfaction in crushing my students, but we do what we must in the pursuit of victory. I suspect Lucina will break formation to single me out if she can, in which case I will either dispatch her myself or have one of you blindside her with a ranged attack, depending on our current situation. Laslow is more composed, and I suspect he will fall by Dimitri's side when the initial charge falters."

"Leo and Takumi are tricky. If we can sow chaos among the Golden Deer and Blue Lions," Corrin continued, "Those two will be occupied with taking the other out. No offense to Azura but she's probably going to fall in the first few minutes."

"Let's not assume that," Robin disapproved, shaking his head but laughing all the same. "As for Tiki... Uh. I heard she's pretty strong but I don't actually have a gauge on her abilities or her tendencies."

"Neither do I," Byleth admitted. "What I do know is that she's being personally trained by Lady Rhea. Do not underestimate her, no matter what."

* * *

Knights of Seiros Maneuver Field XVII, 30th Morning of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Notice that there are twelve flags for each of the three houses on the hill where we will be spectating," Seteth explained, pointing to the banners of the Empire, Kingdom and Alliance respectively raised atop great poles. "When one of your members becomes incapacitated or otherwise unfit to fight, a bell will sound and we will lower one flag. With that said, House Leaders, Professors, please make your way to your respective sides. When the trumpets sound, you may begin."

* * *

12 12 12

* * *

"Stick to the plan," Claude advised, looking over the Golden Deer. "Stay sharp out there. Lorenz I'm not expecting much from you, but keep ol' Manuela safe, alright? At least drop before she does."

"Everyone, charge!" Dimitri ordered, surrounded by the Blue Lions who ran behind him as soon as the fanfare of the Goddess was heard. "We take down the Black Eagles right away, and we'll regroup to fight the Golden Deer."

"We've gone over the plan a hundred times. Now it's time to put it into practice," Edelgard commanded, the Black Eagles behind her ready to go-

A bell rang out, and one of the Double-crowned Eagles atop the hill was brought to the ground.

11 12 12

"That can't be right. What the hell, they lost one already? We just started!" Felix wondered even as he ran alongside Dimitri and Ingrid.

The Black Eagles looked among each other, not yet realizing who among them had fallen...

Of course, not until Bernadetta's screams came out from the woodline, her retreating form rapidly fading away as the Varley girl ran towards the safety of Garreg Mach. There would be no time for that though; The Blue Lions were little more than a few hundred meters away now.

* * *

"That would be in character, yes," Sylvain laughed, looking over his wife's draft. "Did you really do that?"

"Well, Edelgard never fielded me for the first mock battle," Lady von Varley explained with a nervous laugh, "But yes, I would have."

* * *

Edelgard and Byleth looked incredulously at each other, joined by Jeritza and Corrin. No one said anything, but a thousand curses were shared at that instant.

A shattering of glass.

* * *

_"Whoa whoa whoa Professor. That's cheating. You're winning this one without my help, got it?"_

_"You can't be serious. Bernadetta-"_

_"Things happen in war, right? Besides, you guys will be fine, I know it! Now crush them, human host!"_

_"...Very well. But why did Bernadetta just run off?"_

* * *

"And there she goes," Linhardt droned, even as the rest of the Black Eagles made ready in the woods. "Now we have no one to poke those charging Blue Lions with sharp sticks."

"Then we beat them first!" Caspar screamed, abandoning the woodline and meeting the Blue Lions head on, much to the protests of Edelgard and Robin. Swinging his fists wildly, the young Bergliez tackled Sylvain to the ground, beating the lancer silly before Dedue caught up to him and threw him off.

10 11 12

"Ooh, that's bad," Linhardt noted, observing his childhood friend getting erased by the entire Blue Lion pack. "He stalled them for about a second. He did manage to incapacitate Sylvain though."

"We're off to a horrible start," Edelgard mused, looking to Byleth and Robin for advice. Corrin looked to Jeritza, the two sharing a nod as he and Ferdinand creeped towards the border of the forest to the left.

"As predicted, Hanneman is staying back, and so is Manuela," Robin said quickly, crouching next to Byleth. "We're down two so I'll have to take Caspar's place on the frontline."

"No," Petra joined in, shaking her head as she stowed away her bow, the weapon useless where she would be headed. "I will be holding onto the line. You are having importance to the plan, and you cannot fall yet."

"Alright, fair. Get ready then," Robin ordered, moving quickly deeper into the woods to join Hubert and Linhardt.

The Blue Lions crashed into the Black Eagles in a violent roar of yells and blades, the clanging of wooden weapons quickly demolishing the tranquility of the forest.

9 8 12

As both lines met, arrows and spells flew in from both sides, sans one archer from the Black Eagles side. Jeritza and Ferdinand quickly disengaged, avoiding the fray along the edge of the woodline as they quickly made themselves scarce in preparation for their own mission. Instead of Lucina or Dimitri, Felix was the one to engage Edelgard, even with his injured hand from his duel with Laslow. Still, engage he did, bringing his sword crashing into Edelgard's axe in a swift and precise stream of attacks. Undaunted, Edelgard took the blows in stride, bringing the flat of her axe full swing into Felix's chest, the Fraldarius boy helpless to block it with just one good hand. With a crunch of broken ribs and the deflation of lungs, the swordsman got sent flying backwards, groaning in pain.

While Dimitri and Laslow took cover from the incoming spells, Corrin caught Dedue and blocked him from reinforcing his liege. In response, he blocked Corrin's incoming swings, disarming her with a shoulder charge and sending her rolling in the dirt. With a scream, Corrin dove forward, not for her fallen blade but instead for Dedue's legs and brought the tall Lion down. Transitioning to a mount as Byleth had taught her, Corrin took a sharp blow to the chin, stunning her for a second but sending her into a blind frenzy. A few punches in and the Duscur retainer was out for the count, leaving the temporarily bloodthirsty Princess recollecting her thoughts only for Ashe to bean her in the throat with a rounded arrow.

Ingrid looked to see both Felix and Dedue down along with Corrin, but failed to note the black magic swirling beneath her feet. Hubert's spell struck true, and the Galatea knight was quickly consumed by darkness and left unconscious, face first in the dirt.

* * *

"Well, this is going swimmingly," Claude observed, looking back towards the flags and then towards the battlefield. "Things are going better than I expected."

"Are we going to advance?" Lysithea wondered, only to be met by Claude shaking his head. Lucina and Edelgard were locked in a duel now, the momentum of the fight free to swing in either direction at this rate.

"Not quite yet. If we start to push ourselves too soon-"

Bells rung out, two of them in fact. Claude looked towards the front, not seeing anyone new on the ground. Turning, he noticed that two yellow flags were being lowered. "Huh?"

9 8 10

"What the hell?" Takumi wondered, turning back only to find Lorenz and Manuela motionless in the fort a ways off.

"Oh. That wasn't all of them," Tiki warned, turning towards the woods to their east. "We have someone running right at us."

Ferdinand von Aegir broke through the trees, only to get violently shot down by four archers laying waste to every part of his body. Without even a grunt, the Eagle fell to the ground, too much in pain to groan.

"He couldn't have taken out both of them by himself. Be on guard," Azura advised, sticking close to Takumi and Tiki.

There was a flash of light from Edelgard's side, and Professor Jeritza suddenly appeared behind Dimitri. Ambushed, Dimitri had to shift attention from Edelgard and engaged the former combat professor in single combat.

"Warp and Rescue magic," Lysithea gasped, "He really did learn it in a week. Jeritza must have taken them out with Robin to move him around."

"Alright, no time like the present," Claude ordered, gesturing to Lysithea who conjured a fire spell. "Let's smoke them out."

Pointing a special arrow at the mage's outstretched hand, Claude set it ablaze, the oiled rags on the tip easily catching the spark and holding the flames. Pulling out a heavy longbow, Claude aimed quickly and launched the arrow into the woodline, starting a fire right behind Edelgard.

"Let's move."

* * *

"Fire!" Hubert called out, moving quickly towards Edelgard. "One of their mages must have started it."

"No, not a mage," Robin wondered, knowing there weren't any fire mages among the Blue Lions. "Annette is a wind mage and the fire started behind us. Leo couldn't have started it either. Mercedes isn't proficient enough to use black magic..."

"The Golden Deer then," Hubert realized, nodding to Robin's observation. "They're smoking us out. Blast, we didn't foresee this."

"Looks like we couldn't get Hanneman in time. Let's alter the plan a little then," Robin thought, joining Byleth up front. "There's a fire behind us," he briefed quickly, "It's going to force us out of the trees. Princess, Professor, hold on to each other. You're taking out Hanneman while the rest of the Eagles engage the Deer."

Without question, Edelgard quickly latched onto Byleth, Robin warping them right beside Hanneman's fort just as Annette's wind magic sent him flying back into the trees.

8 8 10

"We're at little more than half strength," Edelgard realized, watching the Black Eagles lose their fight as Dimitri and Lucina's warpath was left unanswered. Hunching against the wall, she gingerly rubbed her stomach where Lucina had struck a blow. Neither princess could best each other, but if they had stayed any longer, she would have likely lost once Dimitri joined in.

"We have to look for the Golden Deer. But first things first-"

A storm of magical arrows obliterated the walls of the fort from the inside, sending energy and rubble alike shattering outward right into Edelgard's face. From within the smoking hole Hanneman was seen, lowering his hand knowing his Saggitae hit its mark.

"I know warp magic when I see it. My apologies, Princess, Professor, but that trick already worked on Manuela."

Byleth crouched down quickly, not expecting Edelgard to be getting up any time soon.

"You should have gone for me," she spoke simply, raising her blade.

"...There was no winning move," Hanneman sighed, accepting his early defeat but charging up a spell regardless. "When you're done, there's this extraordinary finding I would like you to look at regarding your crest-"

6 7 10

* * *

"This is going rather well," Claude realized. "They completely forgot about us."

Two bells rang out, and both a blue and red flag were lowered.

"Someone just got Professor Hanneman," Ignatz called out from his higher ground perch. "And I think Princess Edelgard is down too!"

Claude's eyes widened, not believing his luck. "Well, that's as good as it gets for us. Let's-"

Dark magic bubbled underneath Raphael and Leonie, bursting right between them and knocking the two down and out.

Azura noted that the front was pretty much abandoned at this point, as the fire had the undesired effect of making the Golden Deer the new priority target. With everyone's attention focused on Edelgard and Hanneman, no one noticed that the battle had shifted quickly towards their location.

Hubert ran in, trailed by Petra, Jeritza, Dorothea and Linhardt. Right behind them, Dimitri, Laslow and Lucina sprinted in, chasing the Black Eagles down. Ashe, Annette, Mercedes and Leo were a little farther behind, not quite as fast as the two who had braved the open fields separating Deer from Eagle and Lion.

"There you all are," Lucina greeted aloud, charging headfirst into the fray and beating down the helpless Ignatz with the flat of her blade. Dimitri ran in right behind her, sweeping Marianne's legs with his spear before pinning down the helpless healer with a carefully subdued blow to the gut.

"Retreat!" Claude ordered in a frantic rush, grabbing his bow and making a beeline towards Manuela's former position. Firing even as he ran, his arrows along with Takumi's got the better of Laslow and Dorothea, adding two more bodies to the heap of motionless Deer.

6 6 6

"Chase down the Deer," Dimitri ordered to the Princess. "I'll hold off the Eagles. No time to argue, take out Claude and we'll finish off the Professors together."

Lucina nodded, leading Ashe and the two female mages in hot pursuit after the Deer. Instead of running with his fellow mages though, Leo stayed behind, facing down the four Eagle students back to back with Dimitri.

"Both Black Eagle Professors are still up. Let's even the odds if we can. I _did_ say I would sacrifice us for victory."

Turning to channel Brynhildr, Leo lifted Linhardt and Hubert into the air before ducking to avoid a shot from Petra's bow. As the two mages fell from their suspension, Dimitri caught Linhardt by the chest with his lance, effectively skewering him if not for the blunt tips of the wooden weapon. Hubert rose and with a shout, channeled his power directly beneath him, blasting himself and Dimitri at point blank, taking himself out along with crippling the house leader.

Casting Brynhildr in front of himself to redirect Petra's arrows, Leo took a quick check to see that there were only four Eagles left, two of them being the professors. Helping Dimitri to his feet quickly, he took cover behind a tree as he caught his breath. Peeking his head out slowly, he tried to scope out Petra's location in the brush.

He was partially successful, in that he found the flat of Jeritza's lance coming very quickly into his neck. Still, the distraction was enough for Dimitri to collect himself after getting leveled by Hubert, giving him enough time to take out the Brigid Princess right before she lined up another shot to Mercedes' back. Turning now to Jeritza, the two lancers were left alone to duel in single, isolated combat.

3 5 6

"They're really fast," Annette panted, not able to keep pace with Lucina or Ashe. Mercedes trailed a small distance behind, even slower than her younger friend. Taking a quick glance back, she found no one trailing which meant the two Lions had done a good job of distracting or even taking out the Eagles.

The faster pair of the remaining Lions couldn't keep up with the retreating Deer, not with Takumi and Claude bounding back to cover the herd with a series of suppressing shots. That, and Claude had covered his retreat with an obscenely large number of pitfalls, dug while the Eagles and Lions were occupied with each other no doubt. Lucina and Ashe had fallen into a number of them, nullifying whatever speed advantage the two had against the fleeing Deer.

"Takumi's quiver is almost empty," Ashe called out, eyes widening as one of Claude's arrows dug into the dirt a few paces behind him. "Claude must've brought an extra quiver just for this!"

"Coward," Lucina muttered, hating this game of cat and mouse. They were outnumbered and even if they caught up, there was no guarantee the four Lions could fend off six Deer fighting from a fortified position. Still, Claude was playing a winning game, loathe as she was to admit. If she could take them out-

"Hrk!" Ashe let out, Takumi's last arrow finding its mark directly into the boy's gut, The archer fell to the ground only for Mercedes to restore the fallen archer's vigor with a labored expenditure of energy. Rising quickly, flustered and winded all at once, Ashe shook his head. "Sorry. I m-mean, t-thanks..."

"Where's Professors Byleth and Jeritza?" Annette wondered, still seeing three red flags up. "And who could still be up..."

"Worry about the Deer for now," Lucina ordered, the four having caught up to Manuela's fort but not seeing any of the archers peeking out. "Let's not advance yet. Take cover and let's formulate how to take them out without getting killed."

"I still have most of my quiver," Ashe offered. "But I can't line up a good shot with them hiding in there. I don't think the smoke is going to help out here."

"They still have Hilda, Tiki and Azura to deal with," Lucina calculated, "And that's not mentioning the two archers and uh... their mage."

"Lysithea? Oh," Mercedes gasped. "Yes, she is very dangerous. They're waiting for us too. The moment we go through the gateway we're going to get hurt!"

"There's no other way into the fort?" Lucina asked, scanning the stone walls for a window or even a grate to get through.

"...I think I can boost you up," Annette devised, testing out a wind spell. "Wind magic can get you over the back walls to the top of the fort."

"Or tear my clothes apart if we aren't careful."

"T-true. But!" Annette brightened up, eager to test out her own hypothesis. "They won't expect you coming in from up top."

Lucina weighed the options, feeling better about being stripped than having her team knocked out going through a choke point.

"And how about the rest of you?"

"...We can distract them at the entrance to buy you some time," Ashe said with a sudden burst of determination. "If you can take out Claude and Takumi, maybe we can deal with the others before they get close. By then, hopefully you're uh... done."

"Well, I'm no tactician, but that's as good a plan as it gets," Lucina decided. "Let's do it."

* * *

"They're right outside... I think. But I can't hear what they're doing or saying," Azura relayed, eyeing Claude and Takumi up on the balcony of the small fortress they had occupied. "There's four of them. Shouldn't we bait them in?"

"I was hoping my pitfalls would at least get one of them, but all four seem to be still up," Claude replied, eyeing the four Lion banners flying alongside the six remaining emblems of the Deer. "They're a wily bunch, that's for sure. Or maybe I'm not as thorough as I thought."

"So, we just wait?" Takumi wondered. "No matter who wins between the Eagles and the Lions, we're bound to face at least one more Professor or House Leader. We have the advantage of numbers, so let's press-"

"Not wise," Lysithea huffed, pressing against a bleeding wound to her leg, courtesy of a lucky shot from Ashe. "We're better off in here instead of being exposed. With Marianne down, I can't get very far either."

"Damn, I didn't notice we had injured. Alright then, let's hunker down and weather this out. We're winning this, don't forget it," Claude ordered, directing Takumi to the elevated sentry watch. Tiki and Hilda stood by the main entrance, sword and axe ready to flatten Lucina to the ground as soon as she broke the periphery of the fort. Lysithea, unable to move very well made her way by Claude, archer and mage ready to turn the remaining Lions into pelts.

An arrow flew in, clattering harmlessly off the stone walls where no one was standing. However, in that moment, all eyes turned inwards, none seeing the White Dragon flying in from behind the fort right onto Takumi. Two quick strikes to the archer's hand and neck and he was done and out.

Quiet.

"Takumi's down," Claude warned, not seeing who the infiltrator was but having a good idea nonetheless. "Azura, Lysithea, watch- aha!"

The Leicester heir turned suddenly, catching his assassin's stealthy strike with his bow with a speed only instinct could muster. Leaping with a backflip off the rampart, he fired an arrow in a rather acrobatic motion which barely caught Lucina in the leg, knocking her over but not quite taking her out. The Princess maintained the high ground, coughing roughly as she tried to catch her breath even as she rolled on the floor in agony. At their current angle on the ground, neither mage nor archer could reach her, and for obvious reasons she wouldn't be able to reach them.

"Tiki, Azura, take the side stairs, finish her off. Lys, Hilda, we'll watch the front..."

"Don't call me Lys- Ow!"

Claude roughly threw Lysithea down, forcing her just under Ashe's second shot. Angry at first, Lysithea noticed the arrow and rolled away awkwardly without a word. Kicking a device on the wall, Claude triggered the chains for the portcullis to lower, trapping the Deer, as well as Lucina, inside.

"Five on one," Claude called out, looking at Lucina's former position but scanning the rampart for any sudden blue movement. "Come out come out, wherever you are..."

Azura's spear flew right by Claude's face, narrowly missing the House Leader. On purpose, likely.

"Four," Claude corrected himself quickly, nocking back at an arrow and firing suddenly, beaning a sneaking Ashe in the leg right through the weave of the portcullis. A burning orb from Lysithea incinerated a hole straight through the wooden gate, crashing into the boy's chest and slaying the Lion. "Tiki, now is a very good time to get her."

"..."

"Tiki?" Hilda called, not hearing a response to her inquiry either.

Two bells rang out, and even from his position Claude could spot through the fort that oddly enough, there were still four Deer still standing. Just as surprising was the fact that there were only two Black Eagles and two Blue Lions left. Was Tiki still up?

2 2 4

Tiki knocked on the gate, surprising the rest of the Deer with the limp bodies of Annette and Mercedes, both unconscious from the Manakete's unforeseen methods. Lucina seemed to have disappeared, leaving Takumi's groaning body alone on the top of the tower.

"She's still out there, but..." Claude shook his head, gathering the surviving Deer inside the fort once the oddly dirty Tiki was let back in. "For now, we regroup. The next push is likely everyone's last.

* * *

"I see you survived," Dimitri greeted to Lucina, hobbling along on his lance. "Did you get Claude?"

"Only Azura and Takumi," the Princess grunted, limping as well. "I lost the three others."

"Leo is down too," Dimitri answered solemnly. "I did get lucky and somehow took out Professor Jeritza and the rest of the Eagles barring Professor Byleth and... someone else, but there isn't much in my spirit either."

"I'm not falling until I beat the Professor."

The two Lions knelt in the high grass, barely managing to hold onto their strength.

* * *

"We could get them," Byleth suggested, spotting the two Lions unaware of her presence.

"I was thinking about getting Claude first. Prince Dimitri and Princess Lucina look rather spent. Wouldn't it be wiser to finish them off after we handle the more spry Deer?"

"If you think that's best," Byleth nodded, rising slowly to not suggest her profile. "Let's move; they're still in their fort."

* * *

2 2 3

"Sorry Claude, things are starting to go black," Lysithea groaned, signaling a magical beacon towards the observation hill. Each of the students had one, letting the clerics know that while still conscious or standing, they were too injured to continue.

Most of the others let their motionless corpses tell the same message.

"Don't you worry," Claude assured, tapping the young mage on the back. "You did the Deer good."

"...You think so? I mean... thanks."

With that, Lysithea lay down, fast asleep even as her leg bled out. Seiros healers came quickly after, quickly restoring and bringing the limp bodies of Takumi, Azura, Annette, Ashe, Mercedes, and Lysithea with them.

"As wise as it is to stay here, this place is just too big for the three of us to cover," Claude said with a sigh. "We'd best face our fates out on the field. Teach is waiting for us."

"Indeed," Tiki nodded, not liking how exposed they would be but just as much not realizing how accessible the fort would become under Byleth's unbound strength.

The three remaining Deer exited the fort, all relatively unharmed all things considered. To their luck, Byleth appeared right around the corner, who instantly rolled away to take cover from Claude's reaction shot.

"Now!"

* * *

Tiki was suddenly warped out of her position in front of Claude, leaving Byleth free to face Hilda and Claude alone. The manakete rose, quickly regaining her bearings after being thrown through space a hundred feet away from the fort. Her magical kidnapper smiled back, clothes and hair a little burnt but otherwise whole.

"Oh. It was you," Tiki greeted, lowering her sword in response to Robin's isolated combat.

"Yeah, Annette almost left me to cook in the fire back there," Robin pointed out, honoring the lull in the encounter. "Almost."

"You'll have to forgive us;" Tiki excused with a bow, "Your position was too advantageous for either of our houses to realistically overrun."

"Indeed. The possibility of a fire attack escaped my mind. I was unaware it was even legal under Seteth's strict rules."

"...Professor Manuela told Claude otherwise. She seemed to make the decision on a self-preserving interest rather than adhering to Seteth's guidelines."

"I see," Robin understood with a small nod. Raising his sword once more, he circled Tiki slowly. "Back to business then. I am very curious what Rhea has been teaching you."

"First things first," Tiki responded, raising her shield as well, "You would be wise to call her _Archbishop._"

* * *

2 2 1

Dimitri secured the fort, having caught his second breath but still rather battered from his intense bout with Jeritza. It still boggled his mind how the former combat instructor 'let' him win, but surely there was something behind it. Still, all he could do now was win the mock battle and say nothing more.

Lucina was close behind, her clothes a dirty mess after having been tackled off the roof by Tiki. For whatever reason, Tiki let her leave, though Lucina assumed this was another of Claude's schemes in motion. He probably wasn't expecting the Princess to remain standing after the two story plunge.

"...Can't breathe," Lucina gasped, bracing against the wall of the fort. Dimitri paused, scanning the area before surveying his sole companion.

"Cracked ribs, likely," Dimitri diagnosed, shaking his head. "You should bow out now."

"...Not yet," the Princess grunted, staggering upright. "Not until I beat the Professor."

"Well, here I am," Byleth responded from above, dropping off the second story balcony and landing a fair distance away from both injured Lions. "Who wants to go first?"

* * *

_"Ooh, that sounded very cool."_

_"Did it? While we were waiting up here, I was thinking over clever things that I could say and-"_

* * *

Dimitri charged first, his first blow crushing Byleth's guard and sending the smaller woman tumbling backwards in a struggle to catch her footing.

"Ow."

"I'll admit I'm very eager to test myself against you," Dimitri admitted, then turning to Lucina. "But she asked very nicely."

Backing off, Dimitri nodded to his barely-standing counterpart as she drew her sword, struggling to keep it level. Byleth looked at her own blade, having been cleaved asunder by Dimitri's force and tossed the useless hilt aside. Picking up Hilda's discarded axe, she made ready, lowering her center and keeping her arms contracted inward.

Lucina charged, one last bit of adrenaline fueling her strides as she let loose a battle scream. Byleth stepped forward, not willing to hold back on her student.

It was all for naught though, as an arrow flew in from above and knocked Dimitri out instantly.

Lucina quickly halted, scanning the immediate area only to see Claude casually resting atop the ramparts, unnoticed by the two Lions when they walked in. Jumping down, he nodded quickly to Byleth, then raised his hands in surrender.

Only for Lucina to beat him down regardless.

2 1 0

Byleth shook her head, gazing at the bloodied Claude who writhed on the ground, but didn't offer any reprimands to Lucina. Stepping over the last Golden Deer, Byleth picked up his sword and claimed it as her own, before backing away ten paces from Lucina.

"It was a cowardly move. I wasn't going to let him go either," Byleth admitted. "Dimitri will be fine."

"This is a battle, mock or otherwise," Lucina responded, not dropping her guard. "You don't just shoot someone and surrender."

"Indeed."

Byleth picked up Dimitri, dragging him away from the circle in which this duel would take place. Squaring off against Lucina again, both teacher and student narrowed their eyes, daring the other to make the first move.

In that moment, Lucina recalled a fond memory:

_A Feroxian Arena, roaring with the cheers of the crowd._

_The Shepherds, making their way closer and closer towards the masked swordsman named Marth. Each battle a victory. Each win a step closer to changing their own fate._

_A duel between Future Father and Future Daughter, sword mirroring sword. Falchion mirroring Parallel Falchion. A reunion with the man who had trained her. Who raised her._

Lucina breathed deeply, closing her eyes and getting into the same stance she had almost beat her father in. Byleth did the same, making ready to duel her student once more.

Her eyes opened though: something wasn't right.

She didn't win that duel with Chrom, either, because-

Robin entered, shooting Lucina from behind with lightning.

"Huh. I just got the weirdest feeling of déjà vu."


	8. Saint Seiros

Knights of Seiros Maneuver Field XVII, 30th Day of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

As soon as Lucina's convulsing body hit the ground, Seteth quickly rang the bell one final time, signalling the end of the mock battle. The spectators dispersed, either to assist the injured students or return to the Monastery, while Seteth stayed for a while longer to assess the part of the field that wasn't covered in fire. A cloaked figure joined him, greeting the advisor with only a clearing of the throat. Still, the timbre of the voice alone was signal enough.

"...I hear you got yourself spotted a few days ago," Seteth stated flatly, clearly disapproving right off the get-go.

"Well, when the walls fall down around you, it's kind of hard to maintain the stealthy approach. They didn't see my face, regardless. So, what did you need?"

"What did you think of the battle?" Seteth asked his guest, turning around to at least speak face to face with his visitor.

"The fire was a nice ploy. Had I known it was legal, my class of Lions would have done the same. That 'Claude' fellow knows a few tricks."

"It certainly wasn't _illegal_," Seteth clarified in his usual exasperated tone. "But the others, I mean to clarify- Any particular thoughts?"

"Ah, you must be talking about the _new and reformed_ 'Ashen Wolves.' Well, they certainly know their stuff. Where did you find them?"

"I was hoping you would help us find that out. I assume Rhea has you briefed?"

"I reported my findings on Lord Lonato earlier this week after I got caught by your collapsing building. I was unaware I had any new assignments. Besides keeping a weather eye on Aelfric, that is."

"Officially, this isn't a full investigation, nor is it sanctioned by the Archbishop. Shamir and Gilbert's spies are not making any ground after one week. I was hoping you could lend us your aid before their trail runs cold."

"Funny you ask," Yuri responded, scratching his lavender hair underneath his unassuming cloak. "I heard a whisper that eight foreigners made quite a scene in the middle of old Nuvelle territory, lost as children at the marketplace. They traveled east towards Garreg Mach, ended somewhere in the woods... that's where they seem to have disappeared. Is that the sort of thing that's need-to-know?"

"I do need to know. Anything else?"

"...They were looking for a woman, who they wouldn't name. That totally isn't suspicious, hmm?"

* * *

Garreg Mach Dining Hall, 30th Evening of the Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"You didn't have to shoot my head," Dimitri groaned, his hands not quite coordinating with his eyes after the ringer that Claude had dealt him a few hours before.

"Well, after that brutish move you pulled on poor Marianne, it was only fair," the archer responded with a coy grin, sipping on his drink and lounging back as if he had been the one who had won the mock battle.

"...And then you had the nerve to feign a surrender," Lucina joined in, not having quite as much an appetite as the three other house leaders with her.

"I can imagine those beady deer eyes went very wide when your sword came down on his head," Edelgard responded lightly, quite upset at herself for missing out on Claude's execution. "What was that about shooting my 'shiny big forehead,' Claude?"

"He looked very confused in the moment," Lucina replied after a light laugh.

"It wasn't like I could square off against you two and Teach at the same time," Claude excused, getting a bit defensive. "I did what I deemed best for my survival. I knew you two were chummy, but I could not predict that you would be so... _eager_ to avenge the High Prince."

"And I did not expect Professor Byleth to let you shoot me. Why did she let you stay in the fort?" Dimitri wondered, the realization dawning on him that Byleth had watched the whole thing and had not warned either of them.

"...She couldn't jump up to me," Claude admitted. "Hilda gave her a quick five second workout after which I quickly ran away back to safety. When she finally caught up to me, the only way up was to take an arrow to the face. Which you did quite admirably in her stead, your Highness."

Dimitri huffed, but laughed lightly at the thought. "You did very well, Claude. Your schemes almost got the best of us after all. It would do us well not to underestimate your wiles for the next bout."

"Just you wait then, Dimitri. I bet Lysithea can learn Warp and Rescue and all that fancy schmancy magic come the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."

"When that battle comes, we will be ready for anything you can throw at us. Maybe we should have charged at him first," Lucina suggested, earning the ire of Edelgard.

"Your strategy was more than sound, seeing that we lost our archer as soon as the battle started. You were right to focus on us first, as we were clearly the more dangerous of the two-"

"Oh boo hoo," Claude faux whined, "'I recruited the strongest people in the White Dragons and still ended up getting knocked out by _Hanneman_ of all people.'"

"First of all," Edelgard huffed, "Professor Hanneman is a very capable mage. Secondly-"

"You really don't have to justify your win," Claude interrupted. "You won fair and square. I'm just letting you know that a forest fire and sneaking around aren't my only tricks."

"No, I suppose not," Edelgard responded, calming down from her excitable episode and returning to her meal.

The four house leaders chewed in relative silence, letting the ambiance of the feast speak for them instead. Laslow and Felix were arguing at a table farther away, with Ingrid and Sylvain trying in varying degrees to deescalate things. Tiki and Flayn were stacking cups as high as they could go, while Seteth and Rhea watched in relative ease at the childish display. Mercedes and Annette were shoving ice cream into Leo's mouth, while a gleeful Corrin and restrained him. Lysithea and Takumi watched on, shaking their heads.

So, Lucina wondered to herself, this was what could have been, had Grima not ruined her life.

Severa, Inigo, Owain, Nah, Brady, Laurent, Gerome, Yarne, Noire, Kjelle, Cynthia. This could have all of them.

It was a painful realization, knowing that they would never be whole again. Aside from Inigo and Owain, no one else had come through the portal. Severa was dead, and no one else has so much as left a sign, and-

"I heard you stood alone against Professor Byleth," Edelgard interrupted, starting the conversation once more. Lucina gulped down her food, nodding slowly.

"...I did."

"Even with your wounds _and_ knowing she had beaten you before," Claude joined in, nodding along. "That's the sort of stuff they put in stories. Heroic ones, at least."

"Anyone would have faced her," Lucina dismissed, not quite enjoying the spotlight. "I wouldn't have won. She was hardly winded. I had broken ribs."

"And yet you stood your ground," Edelgard continued. "I suppose Robin blindsiding you was a mercy, not a deliberate attack."

"'Fessor did look rather disappointed," Robin joined in from across a couple tables. "Oop, sorry. Ignore me."

"You stood your ground," Dimitri repeated, shaking his head in admiration. "Most of us would have surrendered."

"..."

Lucina stayed quiet, only nodding and not knowing what to say about that. Would it be arrogant to say that she never had the luxury of surrendering before? Perhaps not arrogant. Morbid, perhaps. Not quite the right mood for a celebratory feast, regardless.

"I would have cheered for you, had you not just broken my nose," Claude admitted. "Still, I have a good feeling that this year, one of us will take Teach down. I just know it. If it's you, Lucina, now that would be a fight to watch. Or Dimitri or Edelgard too- hell, even me. But it makes for a nicer tale that a student bests their own teacher, wouldn't you think?"

Lucina smiled at that. That would make a for a good story to tell Chrom once she returned to Ylisse.

"That settles it," Dimitri announced, nodding to Lucina beside him. "The four of us, let's agree right now: For the next battle, let's keep those same teams."

"Whoa whoa," Claude interrupted, waving his hands widely. "That seems rather sudden, don't you think? No offence to Tiki and Azura, but they're not exactly on par with-"

"You can't control their growth," Edelgard reprimanded. "So you'd best work out a better plan than digging a couple holes and running away." Dimitri and Lucina nodded along, leaving Claude with a challenge that he could only smile back at.

"Oh, you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

* * *

"Like childhood friends, they bicker and laugh so," Rhea sighed, watching the house leaders dance back and forth in their banter.

"They act as such," Seteth agreed. "Still, I cannot-"

"Relax your doubts for just a few minutes, Seteth. Do you not see that their presence here is a blessing? Even if for this moment?"

"...I'll admit, it is nice to see the children enjoying themselves. Excuse me. I know my concerns are rain clouds on your sunny day."

"Sometimes. But sometimes, your words are a blessed shade to keep the blinding sun out of my eyes. I appreciate you, Advisor. Do not soon forget that."

"...As do I, Archbishop. I... I should rescue Tiki from Flayn's antics. Good night, Rhea."

"Good night, Seteth."

With that, Rhea rose slowly, weaving through the busy dining hall to walk through Garreg Mach in its chilly night air. Walking back to her office, she caught the skulking figure of Hubert walking downstairs, followed loosely by Professor Jeritza, who was holding a rather large stack of papers. That couldn't have been Hanneman's Crest notes, could it? Impossible, as Hanneman was still up in his office.

Shamir had not yet compiled her report on the suspicious Imperial, but something just... didn't seem right about him. Hubert was inherently ominous, but then again who from Vestra territory wasn't?

Ignoring them for now, she returned to her office, greeting the unbothered Hanneman even as he ate on the bench in the hallway, keeping his research station clean.

"Good night, Professor. Did you just talk to Jeritza and Hubert?"

"...I did."

"I see. Just clarifying. Good night."

"Wait, Archbishop, a word?"

"...Is it urgent?" Rhea asked, quite tired from the day's events and yearning for her bed.

"I suppose it can wait until tomorrow. Good night then, Archbishop."

"Good night, Professor."

Rhea climbed the stairs to her room, greeting Catherine at the door as she stood watch.

"Those new guys can really pick a fight, huh Archbishop?" the knight laughed, opening the door for Rhea as she entered the room. "Good night, Lady Rhea."

"Good night, Catherine. You'd best grab some food before the students take it all."

"I just might. Thanks, Archbishop."

The door shut behind her, and Rhea breathed a heavy sigh. Taking off her crown and outer robe, she placed both objects on their stands as she shifted into her nightwear. Retrieving some water and pouring it onto a rag, she wiped her face and let her hair run free down her back. Her ears, pale and foreign to the outside world, were finally free. In the cold air of night, they oft tickled when she freed them from her crown.

She was hoping Byleth would win, and win she had. The girl was, while not exactly normal according to human mannerisms, a true aspect of skill that she had seen only a few instances before. She was surely Jeralt's child.

And Sitri's.

21 years was hardly a blink for a Nabatean to fuss about, but the time was agonizingly slow. She had kept tabs on the Blade Breakers, thanks to her vast network of spies. She learned of a young mercenary who bore the name 'Ashen Demon.' How she cut down bandits twice her age in half the time anyone else would have taken.

How neither her breath nor her pulse flickered in the face of danger. Enemies that fell to her blade were met with only a steel, emotionless gaze.

She couldn't interfere with the business Jeralt conducted, of course. He kept the girl safe until she grew into a fine young woman. Still, Rhea did the best she could to indirectly nudge the Blade Breakers closer and closer to Garreg Mach. It was fate that they would reunite, but fate could not be rushed. She had never met Byleth until last week but Rhea could imagine her no less. A kind soft face, crested by gentle teal weaves, just like her mother. Strong arms and a steel gaze, just like her father.

And a power, sleeping within, like the progenitor.

When she had seen her, entering through the Monastery on that blessed day, it was like realizing a dream in the flesh. It was as if Sitri herself had told her that... everything was worth it.

It would take a bit of working out but Rhea had a plan for Byleth. From the ashes of a demon would the Goddess of Fódlan rise once more, restoring light and peace to this troubled land.

This time, she was sure of it.

She was fond of Byleth as well. Quiet and soft spoken, sure. The woman was surprisingly eloquent for one so... distant. But even Rhea wasn't sure which parts were Byleth, and which parts were the Crest Stone within.

Three knocks. Slow in pace.

"Yes?" Rhea asked instinctively, surprised that Catherine had not stopped her late-night guest.

"It's me, Archbishop," Tiki called out, timid as she was even from behind the door. "Tiki."

"You may enter," Rhea replied, making herself decent just as Tiki entered the room.

* * *

C

* * *

"You... you're not wearing that much," Tiki muttered, looking away and quickly shutting the door behind her.

"I was about to go to sleep," Rhea admitted. "I forgot you had asked to stop by today. How are you feeling?"

"Robin was kind to subdue me rather than beat me down," Tiki admitted, taking a seat before a frown crept over her face. "I am feeling otherwise fine. I... I'm sorry I couldn't fight as well as I could have today."

Rhea wasn't much for pity but the way that Tiki looked genuinely saddened tugged at even her heartstrings. She put a hand on the Manakete's shoulder, comforting the dejected woman with a light touch. 3,000 years old, Tiki claimed, yet Rhea could see that a girl's heart was still beating. Childish, eager, hopeful.

Impressionable.

"...My child, you have nothing to apologize for. When Seiros had picked up her sword and her shield for the first time, they were too heavy for her to even swing, let alone fight in. I'm proud of your growth. And I am so glad that you have been willing to learn the tenets of Saint Seiros... of _me-_ as you have."

Tiki smiled slightly, looking away as her shoulders relaxed.

"I know this isn't what you thought your mission would be, but I'm proud of you nonetheless," Rhea assured, hoping to bring a bit of comfort to Tiki's otherwise disappointing day.

"I do not want to disappoint you. Nor do I wish to trouble the Professor. No one has depended on me for... a long time. The sting of letting a close companion down is one that doesn't fade over centuries asleep. My mother told me that the curse of a long life is the agonizing drawl of an eternity, laden with the weight of regrets. She was right."

She hadn't told Rhea much, but the Archbishop heard a few tales of 'Marth' and the wars Tiki had seen. She knew that the trouble of men that became Tiki's own troubles. The curse of living a lifetime while beloved friends faded under the passing of a single breath.

It was a lesson every Nabatean had to learn, eventually. Even Flayn, waking up after centuries in slumber learned this: A cruel realization that the world she knew had grown old without her. That Ethniu, cradling her child even as they both fluttered about the cusp of death, had bled away into the river of a hundred years of slumber.

Still, the only thing worse than suffering the past would be to relive it. The few surviving Nabateans had to learn that lesson, and they would not soon forget it.

"You will never disappoint me. You are my kin, my family," Rhea responded softly. Tiki responded positively, her spirits brightening ever so slightly. "So, what brings you here tonight?"

"It's about one of my classmates," Tiki began, pacing Rhea's quarters. "Robin, in fact."

Rhea recalled that first day, knowing that something was familiar and yet... oddly foreign about the cloaked man before her. He was unassuming, even unremarkable. But yet a power clawed beneath the surface, that much Rhea could tell. Claws far sharper than any of his classmates.

"...The one who bears great power without knowing it."

"Yes. He... I think he bears the _crest _of the Fell Dragon."

Rhea tilted her head, the name not familiar to her. Still, the words were ominous enough, and Tiki had been working closely with Hanneman for a while now.

"Fell Dragon? There was never one who held a title like that among us."

"That power is an omen of chaos from Archanea," Tiki explained. "An adversary of Naga since the beginning of my time. And yet..."

"And yet there is no evil within him," Rhea realized. "Yes, I figured as much when I sensed his blood. Yet, I did not feel threatened. Only..."

"Unsettled," Tiki guessed, and the Archbishop knew that was her own reaction as well.

"Yes. Like seeing something familiar in a place where it shouldn't be."

Tiki nodded, her point made. Pausing for a moment, she asked another question as the epiphany hit.

"Has Lucina told you of her circumstances? Or her brother?"

"Neither. Why?"

Tiki sat down, cradling her head in her hands. This was a big deal. But she couldn't just reveal that Lucina and Laslow were from the future... The Awakening was a sacred rite, and the revelation of this unmatched power could spark a greater danger than what was already present.

No, Naga would stay out of this for now.

"I meant to speak to you sooner about this... but I don't know what to do," Tiki diverted, hoping Rhea would follow.

"Tell me your thoughts, Tiki."

"Robin is a kind soul. I can see that within his heart, in his eyes, his smile. But yet there is a yearning, a gnawing... brooding in his blood and he doesn't know it. I know that this power will threaten Fódlan. If not here, then when we return to Archanea. That is, if we do not act upon it-"

"You think we should eliminate the threat before anyone gets hurt?" Rhea wondered. "While we still have time."

"...Forgive me, I know it is pragmatic and cruel of me to think about it like that but-"

"I disagree. Your actions... your premonitions are not wholly wrong." Rhea said suddenly, shocking Tiki.

"But an innocent life-"

"Is not worth more than countless others. If you truly believe that Robin is a threat to our people and yours..."

"...I cannot. That is why I sought your council. Is it... right... that we hold faith? Faith that the man will overcome his own blood?"

"Faith?" Rhea questioned. "There is good and evil within any man's heart. We cannot believe in man, only act. Faith is best reserved for the Divine, little Tiki. We cannot place faith in something as fickle as a man. What weighs upon Robin more? Do you think the man will prevail over the heart? Or the blood coursing within? We cannot know this, even with a thousand years of observation."

"I'm afraid I do not know him very well. But he is kind. Honest. Anything a good man ought to be. He deserves a chance. I want to help him."

"Which is why you are hesitant to extinguish this potential spark from becoming flame," Rhea observed. "You do not think he deserves punishment for a crime not yet committed."

"...Do you think we can save him from the fell power of his Crest?" Tiki wondered, looking pleadingly to her mentor. "You of all people have wisdom and experience over this... dilemma. Can the heart of a man overcome the curse of our power on his own?"

Rhea rose, letting out a labored breath before thoughtfully pacing about her own quarters.

"When mankind stole our blood," she began, closing her eyes and imagining those red-splattered walls, "There were a few who stood by us. They were not tempted by greed, nor were they seduced with a lust for power. And so, we rewarded their kindness."

"The Four Saints and Saint Seiros, and the ones who stood by their side," Tiki recalled. "Yes, I think I recall that lesson."

"There was one who bore the gift that was the first Crest of Seiros," Rhea continued. "He who, above all the sins any man could have committed, chose to protect his brothers and sisters, his sons and daughters from evil. To fight and kill not for personal gain, but for a future open to all. So Seiros, seeing this trait in one man, blessed him. She hoped that men like him would survive where others have fallen. That all men would be like him... Wilhelm."

"You gave him your blood?"

"The Crest I gave him has been passed down through generations. I have watched many who bore the inheritance that was my blessing live and die beneath the banner of the Two-Headed Eagle. Many have proven wise leaders, kind rulers. But others... tyrants. Fools. Despots. And now the Crest lies in dear Edelgard, who I have come to admire deeply. She too bears my power that I have given her bloodline so long ago. She is remarkable and determined, just like Wilhelm. Even gazing into those lilac eyes... I see strength and a will transcending time and age to last a thousand years..."

"...But good and evil lay dormant in all of them."

"I learned something over the years, little Tiki; A man's potential isn't the strength of his back, nor the cunning of his wit, but the heart beating within his chest. If a child with nothing can look within, to smile and protect those he loves, those are the ones that deserve our strength. So that when they do rise, all of humanity rises with him. So when you look upon Robin, Tiki, as I do, what do you see?"

"...I see that he deserves a chance to prove his worth," Tiki began, shaking her head. "But a kind man with power so foul-"

"There is no foul power, Tiki. There are no blessings, no curses, that we can give to man. What they do, and the deeds they enact, are upon their own hearts. Be at peace with that notion, child."

Tiki nodded, yawning suddenly and shaking her head abruptly to stay awake. "Pardon me, Archbishop, but I am getting rather... sleepy. It has been a long day." Rhea didn't seem to mind, placing a hand once more over Tiki's before relinquishing it. The touch was enough, and the Manakete smiled.

"I hope I was able to help, Tiki. Your presence here is a gift to me, and I am most grateful for it. Please rest now."

With that, Rhea caressed the manakete lightly on her shoulder, smiling slightly as she always did. But this time, there was a familiarity to it. Like a mother, acknowledging a daughter's first triumph.

"Trust me," the Arcbishop requested simply.

"I... I feel better. I will have faith in Robin as you do. I cannot help but be scared, though. I know what his power-"

"Seiros was terrified when she faced the Army of Liberation on Tailtean. She too knew their power, that had been so cruelly seized. But she never wavered in her duty to mankind. I know that same purpose lies within you, Tiki."

"...Yes, Archbishop. I'll try."

"Good. Get to bed now. And wash your clothes, won't you? It won't do for my own sacred garb to have blood and dirt caked upon it," Rhea added teasingly. "Even if it is a spare set."

"Oh-Of course!" Tiki bowed, smiling as she left. The door shut once more, leaving the Archbishop alone. Walking over to her nightstand, Rhea wiped her face once more before deciding to finally lie down.

Eyes open, staring at the ceiling of her room, a bitter sigh could only escape Rhea's lips now.

Humanity was a mockery of its past self. Gone was the splendor of chivalry that only tragedy could force to the surface. Gone were traits of noble rulers like Wilhelm, of strong wills so rare like that in Edelgard. So few and far between were they, blind to the sacrifices of the Goddess, the teachings of Saint Seiros. Naught was left but traitors and deceivers, the lot of mankind rank in their self-preserving ways of selfish ambition.

Some had the potential for good, yes, but truly, all they desired was power. Blood and greed were far more delectable to those lost souls than peace and kindness. A thousand years at the head of Fódlan had taught her that. It took everything, every trick, every waking moment to devise plans just to keep her mother's land from falling into ruin. The division of the Empire. The Alliance, even. And still, she could feel the ever-unsettling presence of something sinister pulling away at the curtains out of sight- changing the props of chaos like a stagehand during a fade out between acts, the audience none the wiser.

But Rhea was wiser.

She wasn't a talented liar, but over the years, Rhea found that she was far more skilled in telling half-truths. She knew what men wanted to hear, which meant that she knew what Tiki wanted to hear, and loathe as she was to admit, she was doing quite a good job getting the young mind to be receptive to Seiros' teachings. And those of her own.

Still, she had comforted Tiki. She wouldn't dare harm her own kin. She never had the chance to experience the joys of parenthood like Jeralt and Seteth had, so perhaps this could be her chance to experience it herself. A protege... a _daughter_, one that she could never have for her own. Tiki was a bit older than Flayn, but there was a youthfulness that was still there, 3,000 years or not. Rhea would indulge.

And in indulgence, she could still learn about the world around her. One last revelation that Saint Seiros would receive. But there was more than knowledge that Tiki could give.

Information was the key to controlling and understanding that which was unknown. And Tiki was so eager to give it to her tonight.

Robin, kind heart or not, was a threat to this land. Only Sothis could restore Fódlan, and it wouldn't do for a 'Fell Dragon' to get in her mother's way.

* * *

Reception Hall, 1st Morn of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Jeritza and Edelgard entered the hall just as Seteth did, the latter greeting the other house leaders and professors as they set out to receive their briefings. The first mission of the year was this month, and the reality was setting in just about now.

"Blue Lions, there have been some issues regarding highwaymen on a trade route leading towards Galatea territory. As your first assignment, your house will subdue any haven of miscreant or bandit you find and secure that road. It goes without saying that this is essential to both Kingdom and Monastery business, so prepare accordingly. The Knights will accompany you, and are prepared to offer their assistance. This is no longer a mock battle, so take the necessary precautions before you march."

Dimitri and Hanneman nodded, exiting the room sharply and without a word. Seteth then turned to Byleth.

"White Dragons. Your first assignment is to subdue some bandits. While our students are still raw in terms of combat experience, we feel it is right for you who are more suited to take on a pressing issue and gain some more practical... experience, for lack of a better word. The Knights will accompany you as well, and are also prepared to offer their assistance when necessary. Be mindful, as I've said to Hanneman and Prince Dimitri, this is no longer a game of mock battles and sparring matches. This goes without saying to a group of mercenaries, but be wary of the reality of life and death. When it is time to depart, a messenger from the knights will send a missive sometime around the latter half of the month. You will have time enough to prepare and to sharpen your skill until then, so I suggest using your time... wisely."

With that, Seteth walked away to brief the other two houses on their own missions, leaving Lucina and Byleth to themselves as they exited the hall.

"Our first real mission here," Lucina contemplated. "Still, it's good to be on your side this time, Professor, of which I'm glad."

"As am I. Still, I'm a bit concerned," Byleth admitted. "_Bandits_ are a vague identification at best. Bandits can range anywhere from a conclave of fugitives scrounging for two coins and a loaf of hardtack to grizzled mercenaries with a wealth of experience."

Lucina considered that latter option, not considering that to be the case.

"I am sure that with your guidance we will do what we have to without an issue," the house leader assured. "Your tactics were masterful during the mock battle and now we have our White Dragons back together. With you and everyone else fighting as one, I have the utmost confidence in our abilities. Still, the mission isn't going to be for a while it seems. I'm eager to start preparations as soon as we can."

The two almost made it out, ready to go to their makeshift classroom in the Dining Hall.

"Kid, a quick word?" Jeralt asked, appearing out of nowhere but not without a nod to the house leader. Lucina nodded back, departing from her professor to report to her class.

* * *

Garreg Mach Dining Hall, 1st Day of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I just got back from a meeting with Captain Jeralt," Corrin briefed, acting as faux house leader while Lucina was otherwise preoccupied with the text of a book and Byleth was still talking to her father. "The bandits are on the run as we speak but they're being herded in towards some place called 'Zanado,' also known as the 'Red Canyon.' They're not many in number, but we ought to be careful nonetheless. We technically have until the end of the month to engage them, but the sooner we get to it, the better."

"Thieves?" Takumi questioned. "Why are we going after these tiny issues? Can't the knights handle this themselves? Our mission is to protect Rhea from a great threat, not to deal with Fódlan's trash."

"The Archbishop," Tiki corrected.

"I think it's a good opportunity to prove ourselves in real combat," Robin assured, still juggling his breakfast with the meeting like a few other of his classmates. "This threat hasn't presented itself yet and we still have to make ourselves useful to the Officer's Academy. It makes for a fine first mission, if you think about it tactically. Besides, the more experience we get in before we head back home, the better equipped we will be to handle Valm and eventually... everything after. We can't forget about everything that comes after this."

Lucina's warning had not gone ignored by Robin. After all, Ylisse had stormed into Nohr and Hoshido, stopping their war only to ask for their help to fight another. To be completely honest, Robin was amazed they had made it this far.

* * *

Margrave Gautier Estate, Imperial Year 1192

* * *

"This probably isn't a good time, but you should probably reference your other story. People are bound to get confused on why the Hoshidans and Nohrians are even working with Ylisse in the first place. We, er, _you_ kind of glazed over the whole premise. Actually, you just copied the first chapter verbatim, didn't you?"

"...To my defense, this whole story was your idea. Not my fault I'm enjoying doing both at the same time!"

"Well, your readers don't even know you have two stories in the library! Shouldn't you let them catch up with the ones in the know?"

"When Tactics Collide? But I'm not even done yet. I'm just finishing the part about Iago and his inclusion into Valm and-"

"It wouldn't hurt, Bernie. The returning students have been waiting a long time, and newer students don't even know it exists. We only get so many chances to come to the monastery, anyway."

"Well... They can read it if they want. B-but I'm not even close to done."

"They should! At least the first few chapters. People might not get it at first if all they know are the Legend of the Awakening and the Legend of Fates."

"Yeah, yeah. They'll find it on their own."

* * *

Garreg Mach Dining Hall, 1st Day of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"...It's not ideal, but we will do it," Leo agreed. "What else do we know?"

"That's about it," Corrin admitted. "The knights almost cornered them in Remire when we met up with them but they've been on the run for the past week. They could've wiped them out in Zanado but it's supposedly a sacred place to the Seiros faith. Lady Rhea ordered them to stand down and let us handle it. They're not going anywhere."

"A cornered dog will bite hard," Laslow warned. "We ought to wait for them to dwindle their own supplies and patience. Let them make a couple mistakes. Makes things easier for our end."

"I wasn't aware we wanted 'easy' but I suppose you're right," Azura mused. "If we fight them at their full strength we might get an unpleasant surprise or two."

"We need to start working as a team," Lucina joined in, her book put aside for now. "I know we're not used to fighting side by side but this is where we should start. I may be a stranger to most of you, but I consider you all as my trusted allies. I am only a leader in title, really. We are all equals, chosen by Naga."

"I agree," Corrin said with a nod. "We can't forget that there are people back home waiting for us. We have the chance to set a good example. To prove our own worth, right Leo, Takumi?"

"...Right."

"...Yeah."

"There we have it," Lucina concurred, nodding with a bit of determined pride. "I have the utmost confidence in us to do the right thing and to survive. For now, we prepare. All of us will do our part. For our future. We cannot let down those who have put their faith in us."

"Faith," Tiki repeated, wistful. She glanced at Robin who looked back in confusion, but she feigned ignorance.

"Well, when th'fessor gets back, we hit the books and the training," Robin ordered, stealing the show for a brief moment. "And... uh, we probably should clear out of here. People are waiting to eat."

* * *

Byleth's Quarters, 1st Day~

* * *

"Must you do that every time, Bernie?"

"What? It doesn't hurt to be consistent. I actually need it to keep track of the dates in tandem with the actual timeline of the Unification of Fódlan, and personally, I think it's a charming little quirk- Hey!"

* * *

Imperial Year 1180

* * *

_"Don't trust Rhea," _Sothis repeated, quoting Jeralt from earlier. "She does give me the creeps, but at the same time, she also makes me feel kinda... warm?"

"I suppose that's how I would describe it too," Byleth remarked, trying on her new lounge-wear that Rhea had procured. White, just like her carpet, with a darker silvery under layer that was fitted to her form quite snugly. Not the best color gradient, but the Church seemed to have a surplus of white fabric... Which these clothes were no doubt made from. They were unlike any sort of clothing Byleth had ever seen. Both the shirt and the shorts were made of rather loose material, light and lacking any sort of hindrance to the limbs. The underlying layer felt rather nice too, leading Byleth to believe that these sorts of clothes were meant for... lounging? She hadn't much idea what that meant, but these would be great for exercising in.

They just looked really, really odd.

* * *

"Don't remind me. Those things were hideous no matter who wore them," Sylvain groaned.

"Hey, the Black Eagles had a pretty nice set. I wore it a bunch in my room!" Bernadetta quipped back, looking through her closet to find the faded fabric still there, although missing its under-layer due to the passage of time. And well, the near-destruction of Garreg Mach didn't help, either.

* * *

_"That is hideous. Take that off right now."_

"But it's comfortable."

_"...Are you a fool?"_

"Fine," Byleth groaned, taking it off and getting back into her Academy uniform. "I thought you would like it."

_"I like it, just not when it's on you. And don't you dare give that to any of your students."_

"But-"

_"...I will scream until you perish."_

"I like them. What's wrong with that-"

_"AAAH-"_

"Very well," Byleth acquiesced immediately, stowing the box in her closet for the rest of eternity. "It does make me sad."

Pulling out the other box, Byleth opened it to find parcels from Rhea that contained each of her students' new, personal uniforms. Just like her Garreg Mach uniform, their black uniforms were gilded with silver trim instead of bronze, and these were much more appropriate in size as opposed to the rough approximations of last week's spares.

_"See? Now this, this is much better."_

"I do like the silver. It makes them match with me."

_"Oh, but the bronze on the other uniforms aren't so bad. Why don't we gather your little ones now? I'm eager to see this."_

* * *

As the White Dragons lined up outside Byleth's room, the professor went back and forth and gave each of them their own parcel, signed with Rhea's smooth signature and their own, full, name.

Laslow took his package, looking at the object in confusion as he started to open it.

"What's this about Profess-woah."

The contents began to spill out of the ripped paper, but enough was seen to make it quite obvious. The same, rather dirty, fabric that was worn by each of the students was now in his hands. A cleaner variant, obviously. Pulling out his new coat completely, everyone peeked over shoulders and around heads to eye the new White Dragon uniform that would set in stone their position here at the monastery.

"Lady Rhea requested I give these to you right away," Byleth said with an eager yet invisible brightness. You have permission to, within reason, wear these according to your personal preference. Just don't cut anything off. Though she did say she hopes that the customization she made match your personalities? I have no idea what that means."

"I think she has us figured out," Robin laughed.

"Some of us, at least," Lucina replied. "I'll admit, I'm curious."

_"Now shoo! To your rooms little ones! I want to see them!"_

"Now... uh... shoo," Byleth repeated awkwardly, gesturing with her hands. "To your... rooms. Little... Uh."

The students looked at her strangely, but nodded as they shuffled back to their rooms.

A shattering of glass.

* * *

_"Well, let's not imitate me, professor. No offense to me, but it's much weirder when you say it."_

_"Agreed. I will never listen to you again."_

* * *

"You should get changed. Let me know if there's anything that should be adjusted," Byleth ordered with an official air, gesturing her students away confidently. "Meet down here once you're ready." With a collective nod, the Dragons filed away to their rooms, much to the relief of Byleth and the gremlin idling about inside her head.

"And now we wait," Byleth said to herself, sitting down on her bed and stretching out her sore arms.

* * *

Lucina's new uniform, like the original spare she had worn the whole week, had maintained the relatively standard coat and medium skirt combination that Dorothea and Ingrid, along with most of the other mages wore. Rhea had enough insight to know that Lucina was more practical than stylish, and her choices matched that observation. Not very keen on showing off her bare legs like Dorothea, Rhea had given her implicit permission in the incorporation of her leggings and boots from her Ylissean outfit, culminating in a rather odd but not-entire-grating palette of blue paired with the White Dragon's black and silver uniform.

"No, I am not copying Princess Edelgard," she said defensively and in response to no one, "She has red tights. And my boots go up past my knees! Blue is close to black, isn't it?"

"...Sure," Byleth answered, not sure what prompted that outburst.

Unlike Edelgard who wore some sort of cravat over her chest, Lucina had simply buttoned up her coat to the neck like Ingrid or Annette, keeping the silver shoulder-cape (Rhea had added the Crest of Naga as a homage to her Ylissean cape), smartly fastened just like the other house leaders. As usual, the tiara she always wore rested upon the crown of her head, and on her belt, Dimitri's dagger lay sheathed on her right hip, dangling right above Falchion.

_"Could've been worse," _Sothis mused. _"She could've put on her other cape and the scarf._"

_"I think she looks nice.__" _Byleth assured, nodding to her House Leader in approval.

* * *

Laslow, definitely not taking a hint from Sylvain's usual getup, had forgone the top few buttons of his coat and was currently in the process of trying to trying to make his shirt's collar stick out. Unfortunately, the coat's collar got in the way, only leading to some odd fabric monstrosity that was currently devouring the lower part of his chin. At least Rhea got the proportions right.

"Don't mind him, he did this all the time back home," Lucina groaned.

"Still did it in Nohr," Leo added.

"And might I add that it impressed the right folks and a certain maid lady," Laslow retorted in defense. "Now, this blasted coat..."

As Laslow continued his struggle, Byleth looked over the rest of him, not finding anything glaring. He wasn't the most focused student, but clearly Laslow had an attention for details. His pants were sharp and creased, his belt square with his torso, and even his sword was sheathed and fastened like it was straight out of a guidebook on uniform dress.

_"Huh. He clearly doesn't have his sister's weird fashion sense. You should learn from him, Professor."_

_"...Minus the collar, he seems to know how to square himself away."_

* * *

Robin seemed to have taken his inspiration from Ashe and Bernadetta, wearing what seemed to be his old cloak underneath his coat so that the hood lay along the back of his neck like theirs did. While theirs were dark blue like the spring set of monastery leggings, Robin's had the Plegian cloak giving a telltale purple and gold trim to his black hood.

"I cut the bottom half off of my cloak and that was a horrible mistake," Robin admitted with a rather distant look. "My first memories waking up were in that thing..." Even Lucina and Laslow looked shocked that Robin would emasculate his old cloak.

"It looked comfy," Corrin blurted, quickly covering her mouth. No one else seemed to care about Corrin's unabashed comment, though Byleth seemed very lost in thought.

_"Should I turn back time? He looks rather saddened."_

_"We all must learn to live with our mistakes, Sothis."_

He was far from having the widest frame, but the addition of a hoodie underneath his coat made Robin's frame go from virtually ambiguous underneath his old cloak and baggy pants to a rather impressive bulk. Not exactly muscled, but no slouch either. After all, he was an impressive swordsman given his background as a mage.

* * *

"Now before you say anything else, I don't know how I managed to put it on, but I think my coat is inside-out. Now it's stuck, and I can't unfasten the buttons."

Leo's coat was, in fact, inside out.

_"That's impressive. Like, in a derogatory way. Note, I am not actually impressed."_

_"I have no idea how he did that," _Byleth thought. "...Do you need help?"

"No, I'll be fine," Leo muttered, clearly not agreeing with himself.

"Takumi," Byleth ordered, "Help him."

Like Caspar and Ignatz, Takumi chose to opt out of the stiff coat, instead freeing his range of motion by wearing the black academy vest over the white dress shirt. Taking inspiration from Claude, Rhea had given Takumi looser fitting pants like those he had shown up in, rather than the standard slacks that most of the other males wore. Securing the loose fabric into his boots, the archer looked rather pleased at Rhea's decision. Other than that, nothing out of the norm stuck out.

_"Ooh, his ribbon securing the ponytail on his hair! It's white now."_

_"It was red before,"_ Byleth recalled, liking the small but noticeable change. Among the White Dragons, his original getup looked the most 'foreign,' so it reminded Byleth of her interactions with Petra in that they weren't quite used to wearing the 'outfits of Fódlan.'

With an awkward amount of grunts, Leo was free of his coat, reversing it and putting it back on. Despite the fact that the epaulets somehow got tangled with themselves, Leo didn't look particularly different than he did before, silver trim aside. There was no need to wear armor and the uniform simultaneously inside the Monastery, so most of the plate that Leo had arrived in would be stowed away for the time being. Which meant that Leo didn't look any different, much to his dissatisfaction. Then again, it _was_ a uniform.

Also, for some reason Rhea had added large pockets with a water-proof lining to the interior of Leo's pants, but Byleth had no idea as to the purpose they served. Leo did, and only offered a mischievous grin in response.

Suddenly, a revelation from the goddess dawned upon Byleth.

"Hold still," she muttered, reaching over quickly and upturning Leo's collar so that it remained protruding. Initially startled by the physical contact, Leo looked past the doorway towards the mirror in Byleth's room and nodded to himself.

"...That works," Leo remarked, liking the small but personal change. A little bit of Nohr in an otherwise Fòdlan-style outfit.

_"Huh. You actually pulled it off. Good job."_

_"You mock me. You are always-"_

_"I am not! I think it looks good on him! Naturally!"_

* * *

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Ugh."

Corrin retreated back to her room, coming back after a few moments with her shoes and leggings in tow.

Like Petra and Leonie, Corrin wore only her dress shirt with the academy skirt riding high, the garter hugging shy of her chest and extending a little above the knees. Much like her Nohrian armor, which Byleth admitted was the finest designed plate mail she had ever seen, she wore a dark blue sash that rode from her right hip to her left shoulder, culminating in a cape that, like Robin, she had cut short so that it wouldn't extend past her shoulders but still covered her back.

"You too, huh," Robin asked, still grieving the loss of his cloak.

"You're not alone," Corrin affirmed, holding the tattered remains of her old cape. "I did this in solidarity of your loss."

* * *

"You know, they would still totally crush over each other here in Garreg Mach, just like they did in Valm!" Bernadetta sighed.

"That's because you wrote both stories," Sylvain laughed. "Of course they would... wait, are you actually doing that again?"

"Oh, who knows! Anything can happen!"

* * *

"Shoes. Corrin. On."

The Princess sighed, reaching down to tug the socks over her legs when suddenly...

"I'm sure, were we to throw decorum to the wind, that a number of us would enjoy the view," Robin trailed off.

"...I should probably put this on inside," Corrin laughed nervously, holding her stockings awkwardly.

"...You probably should," Byleth noted, closing the door behind the barefoot woman while she changed in her professor's room. A few seconds later, Corrin reemerged, clad in shoes and leggings alike.

"I... really, really, hate this."

_"She looks miserable,"_ Byleth noted.

_"...She did walk all this way without shoes. She'll be fine?"_

Finally, Byleth sighed, and without a word from either of them, Corrin quickly retreated back to her room, returning with her Nohrian stockings that left her toes and heels free to catch every splinter and thistle from Fhirdiad to Enbarr.

"Don't make me regret this," Byleth ordered.

"You won't! Thanks Professor, you're the best!"

* * *

"You too," Byleth asked.

"Me too," Azura responded, just as flat.

Like Corrin, Azura left out the coat, wearing only the dress shirt and the longer version of the academy skirt which stretched all the way from her collarbone to her upper shins. Rhea, taking inspiration from the dress Azura had shown up in, had made a rather daring exhibit of tailoring on both of the skirt's sides that premiered a whole lot of leg and quoth the Archbishop, "Allowed her to still ride atop a saddle traditionally in the style of a Fódlan Bow Knight." Conveniently, Rhea had also provided half of a stocking, which emulated Azura's usual right-leg-only-coverage.

Of course, the way the skirt was cut meant that anyone looking from the left would get a face full of thigh and probably a bit more than that, which didn't seem to bother Azura so Byleth didn't mind either.

_"You do wear those odd stockings after all. It can't be that weird. Personally, I quite like it."_

Atop her head, Azura wore her usual headband, and nestled atop her chest was her pendant, shimmering but powerless.

* * *

"Tiki? Why haven't you tried it on?" Byleth wondered, seeing the last student holding her parcel but not bothering to change.

"This must be some mistake," Tiki answered, still in her old clothes and holding the parcel to Byleth.

"There's a note written by the Archbishop. Have you read it?"

"Yes," Tiki nodded. "Which is why this cannot be right."

* * *

_Little Tiki,_

_Inside this parcel is the garb of Saint Seiros, worn by Seiros herself when she challenged and bested the King of Liberation at the Plains of Tailtean. She courageously fought for mankind in this very garment, before finally slaying her adversary and putting an end to the War of Heroes. This has been in the possession of every Archbishop of the Church of Seiros ever since the death of Saint Seiros, so I trust you realize the weight of this action when I commit these sacred robes to you. I have the utmost faith in you, Tiki, that you will find within yourself the courage that good men aspire to match, and better men inspire. I trust that you, just like Seiros, will face your challenges and even death itself without fear and without hesitation, because that is the light that Fódlan needs. They need not a man,_

_But a Saint._


	9. Zanado

Garreg Mach Outskirts, 9th Morn of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"And you're certain we haven't been compromised?"

"...The Archbishop returned sooner than expected, but the rabid dog made certain to ensure the good professor's... discretion."

"I see. I trust you have the copies now?"

"The original is safely in Hanneman's possession once more. I... I have some news you probably aren't hoping for."

"Their experiment succeeded?"

"Not quite."

"Then what?"

"...It isn't anything like we were expecting. None of the Crests... None of the bloodlines. We haven't seen any of them before. They're not extinct bloodlines, no. They're completely new. Foreign. Just like they claimed."

"So they were telling the truth? After all these coincidences... they were telling the truth?"

"It appears so. I suspect this 'Robin' is going to be a much more erratic variable than what you were hoping for. Might I advise you go over the report before we return to the monastery, Lady Edelgard?"

"I'd best do so. Are we isolated?"

"The knight's patrols do not pass this building for another thirty minutes. Jeritza is standing watch and will walk us back when it is time. I shall stand by outside."

Edelgard nodded, dismissing Hubert as she unfolded the multiple pages of parchment she was handed. She made certain to thumb through each detail, each foreign word, each symbol. Hanneman was a thorough researcher, but even he could make a slip especially if Rhea's slight touch was shifting things as they often did.

Like Hubert had warned, the symbols she had seen were completely unknown to her. The words were just as strange. Only thanks to Hanneman's consistency was she able to make sense of anything in the packet.

"Lucina. Oh, she turned 19 the day we met, how curious... Crest of Naga? Major. But Naga..."

Lucina was brutish and not particularly cunning, Edelgard noted. But the girl had purpose behind her actions, and a will to see things through. The girl was much like Edelgard, in that respect. Still, the similarities ended as soon as they began. Perhaps Lucina wasn't House Leader by her intellect, but perhaps her determination. She wasn't blessed with immense strength like Dimitri was, but her own strength was her experience... her instincts. She was running from something, and found herself on a collision course with the Officer's Academy. Why? Who sent her?

"Corrin. Crest of Anankos. Major. No connection to the Nabateans? Hanneman doesn't know about that but... there's no sign. I thought for sure..."

Corrin was revealing herself to be as oblivious as she looked. After the events of the mock battle, despite her quick demise, Corrin had proven to be a complication far above some of the other White Dragons. She had a sense of sticking her nose exactly where it shouldn't be. One day, Edelgard feared, Corrin would find something a lot more important than she would know what to deal with. That abomination, Nabatean or not, would have to be silenced or turned away quickly.

"Azura. Crest of Anankos. Major. Corrin's cousin? Intriguing."

Azura wasn't a particular concern of Edelgard. What could one dancer do, even with her Claude-tier levels of perception? It would be inconsequential to silence her. There wasn't anything special about Azura. Still, of the three Dragons Edelgard had gone over, Azura seemed at least capable of sympathizing with her cause. But unfortunately for the dancer, Edelgard wasn't too privy with opening up her plans to strangers. All except one, that was.

"Robin. Major Crest of... Hmm? It's marked over."

That was odd. Hanneman (or perhaps Rhea, come to think of it) had purposely scratched out any findings on Robin's crest. Edelgard made the quick connection of noting that the symbol that signified his Crest was also the same one that lined his old cloak. How very odd, that he was self-aware of it.

"Wait. Only one?"

Edelgard looked again, turning back and forward but to no avail. Robin only had one Crest. No signs of experimentation, no signs of enhanced magical or physical capabilities.

Just a man, blessed with blood beyond his comprehension. But his hair! His power! There was no way he wasn't an Agarthan experiment. What was he?

That was an issue that would occupy Edelgard's future leisure, but not now.

"Takumi and Leo both have Minor Crests of Anankos. Wait, not Minor. Partial?"

Hanneman had scribbled over it many times, but he settled on the conclusion that Leo and Takumi's Crests were two halves of Corrin and Azura's whole. Why? How? Crests were not able to be split apart like that, could they? Then again, there was much science she didn't know about this damned system. Perhaps Linhardt would be better put looking this over, once he got his act together.

"Tiki. Blank, as expected. Alas, nothing to figure out that won't be given to us. Very well. For the time being we'll have to assume she's of the same race as Rhea."

Edelgard continued on, glazing over the minimal research Rhea had allowed to remain. Suspecting Tiki's Crest of Naga to be nothing more than falsified information, she dismissed that tidbit. It would make sense that there were some others of Rhea's tainted breed across the lands. Foreigner or not, Tiki was one of them. She paraded about with Seiros' Regalia as if she were being groomed for the part. There was no doubt: Tiki was a Nabatean, just like them.

"Laslow. Minor Crest of Naga. Wait, and a Major Crest of Anankos? Huh?"

This one caught Edelgard by shock. Hanneman knew nothing of Edelgard's dual Crests, and judging by her intelligence on Lysithea, mum was Hanneman's word to disclose any of the Ordelia scion's secrets as well. Any other dual-crest-bearing entities were either dead or unknown.

But here he was, showing Laslow's nature to the Archbishop, just like that? What gave?

Laslow wasn't particularly special in Edelgard's eyes. Hair dye did exist, which could explain his visual likeness to his supposed indigo-haired sister. Still, the two were physically, much alike. He was skilled, but neither of them had any potency for magic, nor did he give any of the telltale signs of Agarthan experimentation. Unless...

Was it even Agarthan at all? Were Laslow's dual Crests a result of something... different? Were all of the White Dragons different?

Mankind stole Nabatean blood for themselves, Edelgard had surmised from her secret texts in Enbarr. Who was to say that it was a different case in Archanea and Hoshido and Nohr? The mankind that conquered Fódlan were brutish, climbing over each other in the race of status and power. It was very possible that in a more civil, more realistic world... they didn't have to.

There existed a possibility where the Nabatean exiles that survived in foreign lands hadn't had their power ripped from their bones. Perhaps, like Rhea's inner circle, their power was freely given? More questions for another day, Edelgard decided.

Perhaps the White Dragons demanded... no, _required _a different approach. There was the possibility that Rhea wasn't part of the equation at all. If that was the case, they were being led into a trap. If Rhea didn't want their abilities after corralling them under her nose, then the Agarthans would, and who knows what experiments would be conducted with those eight. Seven, barring Tiki. She still warranted too much suspicion to be innocent.

Turning back to Robin, Edelgard perused over his page before making another connection. They all traveled together. And between the eight of them, assuming Byleth wasn't one of them, they only had three different Crests between the lot of them. They were related, somehow. That, and they were also royalty. Why were they here? What were they running from?

Were they _all_ experimented on? Or perhaps, even more terrifying to realize, were _none_ of them experimented on?

It was incredibly vexing, and would leave the poor princess up for many hours into the coming nights. She would need some help.

Still, there was one more report to go over. Edelgard was surprised to find that the final pages were dedicated to Professor Byleth.

Something about Byleth warranted a sense of... familiarity with the Princess. She was kind, yet it never showed. There was some sort of connection that was there, even if the two had barely the chance to interact outside of the classroom.

It was a relationship Edelgard sorely wished to build, if anything. She had always wanted a mentor to look up to, hidden away as a deep fantasy that would likely never be fulfilled. Still, ambitions aside, there was information to be absorbed.

"Byleth Eisner. Age unknown. Huh. Signs of a Crest? Odd, but not uncommon in a commoner. Perhaps it never fully manifested."

She had known about Jeralt, from his legends in the Knights of Seiros, but not much else. Still, he looked awfully young for a man his supposed age. Rhea did give out her blood to a chosen inner circle which Jeralt was probably part of in one point of his life, so perhaps Byleth received it through him or her mother-

"Wait."

Hanneman's handwriting was rushed, scribbled, even. These weren't the markings of a researcher. These were the scratches of a hysteric. Hanneman had found a breakthrough. He had uncovered a revelation. And Rhea had not censored it? Or was this page supposed to be a secret?

Had Rhea even tampered with any of this? Or was this all just raw information?

And that symbol, it looked so... familiar?

Edelgard yelped, a sound that brought Hubert running in through the foyer.

"My lady?"

As the Vestra mage walked in, he saw Edelgard wide-eyed over Hanneman's research notes, conjuring the Crest of Flames she hid so secretly from an outstretched hand.

On Byleth's page, the bottom left half of that same Crest was seen.

"I wanted you to see for yourself," Hubert began.

"It appears," Edelgard recited slowly, having regained her composure, "that we have found our experiment. How convenient, that it would be the unknown Professor that Rhea invites to live under her constant gaze."

"It appears we have," Hubert agreed, secretly enjoying these slight complications as they kept his mind sharp. "It appears Professor Byleth was invited here on personal invitation by the Archbishop for a specific purpose. I assume your plans to remove them from the equation are still in place?"

Edelgard rose, shaking her head as she closed up the folder.

"...We have to save the Professor from Rhea, Hubert. If anything, I'm seeing an opportunity to save all of the Dragons from her."

"My lady, we can't possibly trust them," Hubert disagreed, clearly distressed at Edelgard's new idea.

"Indeed. But they can trust us. Their talents, their blood... they are better purposed serving the Empire. We cannot let them fall to Rhea or the Agarthan's hands."

* * *

Training Ground Ruins, 15th Morn of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Phew. One pile down... an unholy amount to go."

Laslow let out a laugh, smiling even as he hefted the rubble that Lucina had indirectly created onto a wheelbarrow. The training grounds were huge, Laslow just realized. There was a lot of rubble to be carried by two men.

One, actually, considering Felix had abandoned his post.

The task itself wasn't particularly boring, tiring as it was. Lifting rocks was training in itself and it would potentially do wonders for his body, though his back was sure to complain for the next few hours. Regardless, there was much to be done and complaining wouldn't lift his punishment from the good Advisor's graces. After all, his temper had brought this upon himself. Which was odd, because Lucina received no such punishment. Of course Byleth would play favorites in her report. Not that Lucina deserved any of this, in all seriousness. Besides, there was another culprit who would have helped, one that was equally as guilty if not more than Laslow.

"Felix struck me as the hard-working sort. A shame. He must not like me very well," the retainer lamented in a faux sadness. He did break Felix's palm, but the healers had accelerated the healing process to the point where the Fraldarius boy was as good as new after the mock battle. "Well, no good to complain. I only have to be here till noon, anyway."

"Care for the company?" came a voice from the outside, prompting Laslow to turn his head. There stood Ingrid, smiling as she joined him amidst the fallen rocks that formerly comprised the wall.

"Ah, Lady Ingrid. I hope you don't mind me cursing your classmate."

"Oh, I didn't hear a thing," Ingrid lied, picking up a few smaller rocks and dumping them in Laslow's wheelbarrow. "But I do know that Felix is practicing his swordplay and abandoning his punishment that the Advisor had doled out to the _two_ of you. So, I volunteered to do it in his stead. One of us has to be the adult between us."

"There really is no need," Laslow began, but Ingrid shook her head.

"I had a filling breakfast. Maybe I'm in a good mood, who knows. But you're not at fault for what happened, Laslow. You don't deserve to be out here toiling like this. At least, not alone. Besides, if I didn't do it, Prince Dimitri would have filled in, and I would be the worst friend in history."

The White Dragon smiled, nodding in agreement and gratitude.

"Well, I insist you let me do most of the heavy lifting. I couldn't possibly look his Highness in the eye if his favorite knight-in-training got injured doing my chores."

* * *

C

* * *

"W-wait, what?"

Laslow raised an eyebrow, confused at Ingrid's show of surprise.

"Huh? Did I get it wrong? I got from our conversation over tea a couple days ago that you wanted to be a knight. Lord Dimitri is due to be King, and well, that's how it's bound to play out, isn't it? Plus, his majesty seems very fond of you, being his childhood friend and all. I think it's quite obvious."

Ingrid considered Laslow's angle, seeing the point and nodding slightly in agreement.

"Well, I suppose you're not wrong..."

"Ah, that's a relief. I'd hate to make assumptions about you, Ingrid. I'd feel shameless if I offended you."

Ingrid huffed, lifting another rock into the wheelbarrow as Laslow made his way to the far corner to deposit the rubble.

"So it isn't weird, right? A 'delicate lady' like myself becoming a knight?"

"I don't remember saying that, but I assure you I meant only flattery by those words, Lady Ingrid," Laslow defended. "You'd make a fine knight. Being lovely doesn't detract from your fierceness in the slightest."

Ingrid smiled at that, dropping another rock in Laslow's cart.

"Huh. Y'know, at first I thought you were just another scatterbrained flirt. You're around Sylvain's age too, and you both love tea and the company of women and all these other mindless pursuits, so I figured you were cut from the same cloth as him."

"Oho, who's to say that I'm not? But to be honest, I've seen and done it all, I feel. I have bigger things to occupy myself with. Or smaller, who knows. I enjoy the simple pleasure of company with a lovely lady, and a relaxing cup of tea. Nothing more, nothing less. No offense to Lord Sylvain though, he doesn't seem so bad as you make him sound."

"He hasn't acclimated to the Garreg Mach populace yet, trust me, he will. Anyway, I still believe you. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed our tea conversations. I'm sure Annette, Corrin, Dorothea, Hilda, wow, even Mercedes and Professor Byleth... geez, you... really get around."

"...Oops."

"But they'd say the same. They don't slap you like they do to Sylvain."

"...Some things you can't help," Laslow said wryly after a pause. "But I assure you, I mean nothing by it. I enjoy your company as well, Lady Ingrid. Your smile brightens my day and that's the simple truth of it."

Looking rather content with that, Ingrid took the cart this time around, struggling a bit to hoist the rubble out. Still, she did it, returning the transport back to Laslow.

"You're pretty sharp, you know that? Something tells me you went through it all pretty early. All things considered, I'd consider you the older between you and Princess Lucina. She's rather... brash. You're the more mellow one."

"Am I? Hmm, I suppose we've both been through our own ordeal of things over the years. She was a wandering mercenary, I was a royal retainer. Being a knight puts things in perspective."

"I thought you two were royalty."

"Was. Now, I'm a simple knight on a temporary journey from home."

"You. A knight?" Ingrid laughed, but the sound died in her throat. "That... actually isn't as far a stretch as it sounds. You're not exactly the pompous or arrogant sort."

Laslow perked up, surprised by Ingrid's confession.

"Oh?"

"Well, you're clearly skilled with the sword, your horsemanship is probably better than any other student here. You were loyal on the battlefield, accepting Prince Dimitri's orders to your... uh, death. You respect everyone here as an equal, cup of tea or otherwise. Oh, and the way you stood up to Felix for your sister... You're chivalrous, charming, and well-"

"Enough, you'll make me blush," Laslow laughed. "What's gotten into you?"

Ingrid shrugged, no embarrassment in her face. She was rather sincere, Laslow realized.

"You're the first person in a long time that's actively encouraged my plans on becoming a knight. It's childish, I know, but someone like you telling me that my goals are worth something more than a selfish dream is... encouraging."

Someone like him? Laslow laughed at that. He wasn't exactly the model knight nor was he the model prince.

"There's nothing selfish in wanting to fight for those you care for. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

A long time ago, when Laslow had first started his servitude under Xander, the high prince had him swear an oath of fealty.

_'If you are to bleed for me, make every drop be spent for something you truly believe in. Anything less than that and your sacrifice will be a waste. Know this about our country: the people of Nohr do not waste.'_

It took a while for that to sink in, but Laslow came to truly believe in Xander not as a fellow prince, but as a retainer respecting his liege.

Maybe he would die for him, just like Selena had died for Camilla. That... wouldn't be so bad a way to go.

Had it really been that long? Selena...

"Hey, you good? Don't zone off like that, you're gonna trip."

"Ah, my apologies," the prince trailed, steering his wheelbarrow back on track and dumping another shipment off in the corner. "I do suppose my story makes for a fine tale. It's not very believable, but it's quite exciting."

"...Care to share? I've enjoyed stories of knights all my life. I'm curious what a foreign prince's tale might be. Even if you do embellish it."

"I won't. Are you sure?"

"If you are," Ingrid requested.

"Lucina and I..." Laslow began, not knowing how to reveal things without actually revealing things. "We came from the Halidom of Ylisse. Now, it's nothing but a fallen land like any other. Luci was due to be the Queen, and I a Prince, or Duke, or whatever someone like me would have been. Regardless, our throne was lost to a horde of invaders, my King... my _Father _slain by one of his closest allies. We were barely teenagers at that time, so we ran."

Ingrid's expression dropped, curiosity replaced by sorrow.

"...I didn't know. I'm sorry, you don't have to continue-"

"It seems so far away now," Laslow mused. "I was separated from Lucina, who wandered the outskirts for two years as a mercenary, while I ran further on. I then found my way to Nohr, a... _neighboring_ land from which Princess Corrin and Prince Leo hail. I found myself instated as a knight under their brother, a man named Xander, who was High Prince."

"A prince becoming a retainer?"

"Weird, isn't it? Then again, am I really a prince when our people have no throne? When my head bore no crown?"

"...Maybe."

"It's an odd tale," Laslow sighed. "But eventually, I reunited with Lucina and even brought Prince Leo and Princess Corrin along as we made our way to Fódlan. One day, when we're done here, when we've gathered the strength that we need... we're going to take back our future. I ran from Ylisse but a coward. I'll return to her a man and a knight, and with my dying breath, I will take her back. I vowed to myself, to my father and mother's grave that Lucina will sit on that throne, and that our citizens will know peace once more. So yes... I do not consider myself very princely, Lady Ingrid. I will live a knight. Maybe... I'll die a knight too."

"..."

"...I really went off on a tangent there, didn't I? Sorry. I haven't had much opportunity to vent. My sister's been busy, and well, the professor isn't much of a conversationalist..."

"I believe you, don't worry. I'm grateful in a way. I suppose...I suppose I needed some true perspective. Not from a book, but from someone like you. My mind has been set for a while, but you're still reassuring me. If I'm going to fade away, it won't be as a helpless housewife extending my bloodline in a dusty manor. I swore to live and die as a knight."

"Die? Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves. You've a lot to live for, Ingrid."

"Excuse me?" Ingrid fumed. "You're the one that started getting moody and wistful all of a sudden. Though, I did ask, my apologies."

"Don't worry about it, fair's fair. Alright, my turn then. I don't know of all this Crest business in Faerghus but I know you have one of them. I assume they're important?"

Ingrid nodded, struggling to conjure hers, but there it was- the Crest of Daphnel, glowing faintly as a projection from her hand.

"They're maddeningly so. Sylvain, Felix and I have one. It's... it's caused no amount of trouble. But it's a necessary burden, I fear. Without it, Faerghus would be beset by those who want us deposed. They almost won, five years ago. Without the Crests, our people would be weak. Lacking the favor of the Goddess."

"...I see. I have much to learn about that, I reckon. The professor is planning some lectures on the Crest system after our mission. Faerghus history takes up a lot of pages in that book."

"You are right. But there is a reason for that system, loathe as I am to accept that. Anyway, your mission. That's in a few weeks, right? Same as us."

"The Professor wants to wait till the end of the month. Lets us prepare as much as we can, I suppose."

"Ah. You're going to Zanado, aren't you? Bandits?"

"Yep. You're... going to uh, was it Galatea territory? Your territory, I just realized. Bandits too, right?" Laslow asked, to which Ingrid nodded.

"It's always bandits, it seems. Why is that?" Laslow continued.

"People need what they can't have. So they take. That's the simple truth of Fódlan, I fear," Ingrid sighed. "My people don't have much, and yet those bandits see it fit to take from our farmers. I can't accept that to be the way things are."

"That's the simple truth anywhere. We take when we have to. I don't really know when that changed with me, to be honest. I was a rat running away from my nest, once upon a time. But now we are knights, are we not? We have to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves."

"Heh, ever the chivalrous idealist. You're not so gruff, Laslow. I can't imagine what you could have been like before you were a knight. Maybe all those women mellowed you down."

"Hmm. Maybe. Or maybe just one."

"Oh?"

Laslow didn't respond, only smiling as he continued depositing rocks in the cart. Ingrid hummed away, taking Laslow's pleasant mood as his answer. Taking the wheelbarrow this time around and dumping the contents, she turned to see him lost in his own world. They were making good headway, even with a conversation. Almost a third of the rocks have been safely moved aside for the workers to come.

Then she stopped. She stood still, thumbing at her collarbone for a few seconds. Laslow stopped as well, noticing that she wasn't out of breath or fatigued. Rather, she seemed burdened. Noting the tense stillness, Ingrid turned to her partner slowly, her face serious and thoughtful.

"Can I ask you something?" Ingrid requested hesitantly, her tone much softer than their previous conversations.

"Of course," Laslow replied, sensing the tenderness in her voice.

"...What's her name?"

Laslow followed her eyes down to his hand, more specifically: to his ring, engraved with the foreign words of the Ice Tribe and enchanted even now with the cold promise the two shared. Even yet, it made his heart warm thinking about it.

"Felicia."

"...Has she..." Ingrid trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"No." Laslow's answer was slow, serious.

"...That's good. Sorry, that was strange to ask."

"..."

"..."

"What was his name?" Laslow asked, noticing the thin chain that peeked just through Ingrid's shirt down below her coat.

"...Glenn."

"Is he..." It was a stupid question, Laslow thought. He already knew the answer as soon as she had asked her initial question.

"...Yes."

"..." Laslow's apology was silent, only bowing his head in reverence.

"He died like a true knight," Ingrid choked, shivering it off. "I ought to take comfort in that, shouldn't I?" She looked at him, wiping away a few dry tears that wouldn't fall. "Shouldn't I?"

"You don't have to. You loved him. That much is clear."

"...I did. Thank you."

The two worked in silence, not talking as the training grounds started looking more like a classroom again than a quarry. Row upon row of gravel had migrated from the grounds to the corner, clearing up much of the previous space.

* * *

"Phew. Well, we've done quite a bit," Laslow noted, breaking the cold silence as he caught his breath.

"Yeah, wow. Time sure flies when you're... not really having fun but regardless, we've done a good portion."

"Yep, the sun's getting real high. Shall we stop here? I'm sure Felix will come by when I'm not around," Laslow predicted, wiping away his sweat. "He seems the prideful sort. He'll do his part."

"I'll make sure on it. Yuck, I'm dirty and sweaty. I'll wash up, and... hey, why don't we get lunch together? I'm sure his Highness is free to join us today. You're an honorary Blue Lion, after all. You're welcome to eat with us whenever you want. Not that you weren't unwelcome before... you know what I mean."

Ingrid's mood had brightened significantly, her temporary silence at Glenn's death staved off for now. Laslow smiled at that. To talk about grief was the first step to truly letting go.

He hadn't let go of Olivia or Chrom, or of Ylisse.

He wasn't so mature as Ingrid thought. In his mind, he was just a boy that had been put through the paces of life. A cruel life, sure, but he was just a sappy flirt of an Ylissean prince at heart.

Well, in Fódlan, just like in Nohr, no one needed to know that.

"You don't say? Well, I'd be delighted. Let me wash up as well, and I'll meet you by the reception hall."

"It's a plan then. Meet us in fifteen minutes or so."

As the two exited the ruins, Seteth walked by, nodding at the sight of the two students. Stopping them for a moment, he peeked inside just to be sure that progress was being made. Satisfied with the result, he commended the two students with a rare smile.

"Ah, excellent. Well done, you two. I'll put in a good word to Professor Hanneman for you in particular, Lady Galatea. It was quite honorable of you to fill in for the young Fraldarius."

"Ah, Advisor. It's not necessary; I'm just filling in for a friend. I'll make sure Felix does his part later on," Ingrid assured.

"I was hoping he'd learn his lesson, but as for you, Laslow, consider your part done. I trust you to refrain from making a ruckus with others?"

"No promises, Advisor. But I vow to be more mature about my emotions in the future."

"Fair enough. You weren't the one to instigate things, after all. I trust you covered the tunnel?"

"I would have, but it seems someone else did it for me," Laslow explained, pointing inwards. As the boy had claimed, the tunnel that Yuri had been spotted at had already been covered by a thorough pile of rocks. Laslow hadn't bothered to move it though, to which Seteth was grateful.

"Ah, I must have forgotten about that. Well, good work then. Do continue on your way."

* * *

Dining Hall/White Dragon Temporary Classroom, 19th Morning of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Byleth sat at one of the tables, idly watching by as the rest of her class concluded their breakfast. A couple students from other classes greeted her as they exited, to which the professor responded warmly. Sylvain appeared suddenly, taking a rather compromising position as he knelt in front of the professor as if he were giving a marriage proposal.

"Professor! I'd like to ask you something."

"..."

"I'd like to be in your class, if that's possible. I've been thinking maybe I oughta get serious about studying."

"No."

* * *

_"Hey, that is not how it went."_

_"That's **exactly **how it went. Everyone was talking about it for a week. Really Sylvain? Not even one month in and you're asking for a transfer?"_

_"...She was gorgeous, Bern. I was but a young fool, not yet captivated by my darling Bernie-Bear-"_

_"Oho, no. You don't get to say that."_

* * *

"Good morning professor," Edelgard greeted to Byleth in respect. "Robin, Corrin, good morning to you as well. Good luck today. I hope you're progressing well."

It was a surprising show of friendliness, but Edelgard's greeting was not unwelcome in the slightest. Robin's mouth was full and he could only wave back, while Corrin didn't account for that and spilled chewed food all over herself in an attempt to say an enthusiastic hello.

"...Ew," Robin muttered, flicking what was formerly a piece of egg off of his lap back onto Corrin's.

"My apologies, you're still eating," Edelgard said with a quick bow, retreating before Byleth could notice what had happened.

"You can kill me now," Corrin sighed, swallowing her remaining food and helping Robin clean up.

* * *

"Are we still on for tonight?" Dimitri asked rather loudly, causing Lucina to gain the ire of eight sets of White Dragon eyes.

And a couple of Blue Lion ones as well. And Black Eagles. And Golden Deer. Oh, everyone was still here, weren't they?

"...Sparring," she attempted to explain, to the confusion of the Faerghus prince.

"Well, yes. What else?"

"More 'Lance Training,' your highness?" Sylvain wondered, earning a smirk from Laslow.

"Yes. Would you like to join us?" the prince responded quite proudly.

"Perhaps another time, your highness. I shan't get in the way of your _lance_."

"You'll be impressed, Professor," Dimitri explained to Byleth, "Princess Lucina handles a spear quite naturally! She has a real gift for the craft."

Byleth appeared impressed, even to Lucina's growing embarrassment. Laslow and Sylvain couldn't hold back their snickers, only to receive simultaneous blows to the back of the head from Ingrid's homework.

* * *

_"O-hay-o Go-zai-ma-su,_" Claude recited slowly, definitely not reading written text scrawled onto the palm of his hand.

"...Good morning to you too," Takumi replied with a raised eyebrow. "Azura, what have you been teaching this clown?"

"I've been trying," the songstress sighed. "to teach him a little Hoshidan. He's teaching me Almyran in return. He has quite a knack for teaching. Not quite for learning."

"Hey that's our little secret," Claude grumbled, his usual smile fading for a genuine instant.

"Ah, so it is. Here, separate the 'za' and the 'ee' a little more, but don't make it too distinct. And don't emphasize the 'su' so much. Oh, and _sabah alkhyr _to you as well, _fekhamet _Claude."

"Hilarious," came Claude's reply, tonguing out the syllables of his Hoshidan greeting silently.

"Ooh, you're learning Almyran?" Hilda asked in genuine curiosity. "I'm not so good, but that was pretty spot-on!"

"_O-hay-o Go-zai-mas,_" Claude repeated, earning a nod from the two Hoshidans.

"Better. Now go away and let me finish my breakfast."

* * *

The 8th Hour bells rung, signalling the start of the first lecture of the day. Instantly, Byleth wasted no time in rising, greeting the class and beginning the day with a quick itinerary.

"First things first, good job with the practice drills with the knights: We're learning to work together and that's good. We've become proficient enough fighting side by side as a class, at least for the upcoming mission."

The White Dragons, just like the other three houses, had taken to running exercises against the knights this month, just to get a feel for things. They felt victory quite thoroughly, having outmaneuvered the knights thanks to the leadership of Byleth and their own talents.

"Two things on the agenda today. All of you are taking your first certifications today. We'll see how those go, but I trust you've been preparing aptly. Secondly, Lieutenant Alois, if you will?"

"Of course, Professor. Good morning White Dragon class," The knight greeted, a familiar face by now to everyone. "I'm assigning Church of Seiros platoons to each of you. You'll have a week or so to work on drills before you assault the bandit camp at Zanado. After all, you can't fight on your own out there. We'll be by your side to back you up."

Alois would have cracked a joke, but this was a rather serious matter. The first mission of the semester was always the diciest. Skilled mercenaries or not, these kids were still... kids. They couldn't die here, so far from home. Too many injuries had happened under his watch.

"Right," Byleth concluded. "We'll cover that later on today, but I'm just letting you know now. Hm, what else. Ah, Father- Er, the Captain tells me that Zanado isn't the best place for horses, so we'll hold off on mounted training for now. Maybe by next mission we'll get some of you saddled up. For now, we'll be partnered with standard infantry platoons."

Leo in particular breathed a frustrated sigh. It felt weird marching around everywhere. He wanted to be back on his horse.

"Now, I know this isn't the best place to take a test, so I'll be moving all of you to take your certification exams under Professor Jeritza and Professor Hanneman. I have to take these too, so Lucina and Laslow and I will go to Professor Manuela's classroom in a few moments. By the tenth hour, please meet up back at the cafeteria. Good luck."

* * *

Officer's Academy Lawn, 19th Morn of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Hey, we all passed! They even gave us free clothes?" Corrin wondered. "Now we're all like Tiki, hee-hee!"

"Eh, not exactly, kid. It's just standard Church of Seiros attire: Myrmidon, Soldier, Fighter, and Monk. Nothing fancy especially compared to your old gear gear, but they'll hold under the stresses of combat. They offer a bit more protection than the usual Officer Academy outfits," Jeralt pointed out. "Wouldn't want to get dirt on your nice uniforms, would you?"

"I see. Well, armor won't hurt. Wait, everyone's here except Lucina. Where is she?" Leo wondered.

"She's still taking her test. Jeez, it's been two hours already. Is she alright?" Laslow thought aloud.

_'She can't read or write very well_,' Sothis recalled, prompting Byleth to wince visibly. _'She's going to die on the written portion.'_

_'You're right. But she has to face it head on. Even if it hurts.'_

* * *

Golden Deer Classroom Exterior, 19th Day of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I failed," Lucina lamented, sitting down by Byleth's side as the other students were long dispersed by now. She had hid her disappointment fairly easily, but alone with the Professor, she couldn't keep it up. "You trusted in me and I failed. I'm sorry, Professor. I must look like an idiot right now, to fail a beginner certification."

"Stop moping and study. You're going to take it again, and this time, you will pass," Byleth ordered, laying it down hard. "It won't do for my house leader to fail her first test. You still have a week before the first mission."

"You're right, you're right." Lucina took a deep breath, rising and nodding to herself for reassurance. "I'll work twice as hard, professor. I'll be a myrmidon before the mock battle, I promise. But... is it right for me to be house leader? Do I really have the worth to lead the White Dragons-"

"Lucina, if you're just going to complain, get out of my sight until you're holding a myrmidon certification in those hands. Do I make myself clear?"

The Princess stood there for a moment with a stunned look but shook it off quickly, nodding in panic.

"R-right. Sorry Professor. O-of course. Sorry."

With that, Lucina quickly made herself scarce, making her way back to her room with books in hand. Byleth couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for her, but she stayed put for a couple more minutes.

* * *

_'Where did that come from? I understand laying down the rules but that was getting a little hard with the girl, Professor. Didn't you see her hope fade? Don't tell me that was your intention.'_

_'I'm no good at being strict, Sothis. It didn't feel good with me, either. Honestly, it didn't feel kind at all. But Lucina isn't the type to do better after a shallow encouragement. She's like me, I suppose. She needs a hard push.'_

_'I do recall moments where Jeralt wouldn't even look at you when you got sloppy in your drills. But don't you think a little kindness would have been nice?'_

_'Nice, maybe. But it doesn't help those who take their craft seriously. We make our own motivation. What we truly need is discipline, not encouragement. She understands that, even if it hurts. I am sorry.'_

_'I'll trust your judgement professor. But you ought to talk to the girl. Let her know that you're... I don't know, to be honest. What do you even feel?'_

_'I'm confident in her abilities. But I want her to succeed. I will make her succeed. Is that... right?'_

_'It is. I don't doubt you Professor. But be there for Lucina, okay?'_

_'I will. I'll even bring her cake.'_

* * *

Lucina's Room, 19th Night of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"T-third position, uh, what's the word... _tierce,_" Lucina muttered, going over the drills again. Drills, she could do for hours. Diagrams, she could mimic. Text...

"Ah, damn it all!"

She threw Falchion away with a curse, the sheathed blade bouncing harmlessly off the wall and clattering to the ground. She heard a door open, and Azura knocked to check in.

"Just making sure that was you," the songstress called in, not bothering to open the door.

"...It was. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'll leave you alone then."

"..."

"You can do this, House Leader. After this mission, I can help you with your reading and writing. Claude isn't any better of a linguistic student, if that's any consolation."

House Leader. She wasn't sure if that was an insult or a genuine reassurance of faith.

"...Thanks."

Lucina got up, picking up Falchion slowly, reverently touching the hilt of Naga's fang to her head.

"I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry for giving up. It won't happen again. Never again. _Tierce_... _Quarte_..."

Slowly, the princess went over her positions, ignoring the open book on her desk.

The minutes went by, and Lucina closed her eyes as she went between the different pronations and supinations of Faerghus-style fencing.

Three knocks.

No response from the Princess.

"Drilling will only get you so far. You passed that part with full marks, so you can stop that. What you should be doing is reading that book and letting me in."

...Of course Byleth was listening this whole time.

Lucina opened the door, letting her Professor in. To her surprise, Byleth didn't appear as angry or disappointed as she did earlier. And was that cake?

* * *

C

* * *

"Read. From top of the page to the bottom."

"...Here? Now?"

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"...You weren't scared of me during the mock battle. Why are you scared of words on a page?"

"...Because I can't best it."

"Don't be an idiot," Byleth scorned, channeling her inner Sothis. "You learned the sword as a girl. Now, you're going to learn reading as a woman. Maybe it's a little backwards, but you've no choice, Princess."

Princess. Byleth chose that word deliberately. A Princess would one day become Queen. A Queen...

Lucina would never be a Queen. She wasn't _that _kind of princess. But yet...

* * *

"In the event of a post, the swo-swo-_swordsman_... grips the blade closer to the pom...mel."

Her words came out labored, each syllable unsure of its own pronunciation. It didn't help that Lucina kept glancing back for reassurance.

"You don't have to look at me every sentence. If something is wrong, I'll say something is wrong. Keep going."

"The swords-man sacrifices fine control over the blade, shif-ting, er, shifting their hand from the center of bal...lance in return for a hand-wi-d-th.._.width _of extra reach."

Labor through she did. It took some doing and a few more glances, but Lucina eventually reached the bottom of the page. Gods, was she sweating? Byleth hadn't even interrupted her once yet.

"Enough. See? You can read. Now write down that page. You have all this unused paper."

Lucina's written assignments were to the surprise of no one, very brief and to the rather misconstrued point. She wasn't very good at getting her thoughts onto paper, which was fixable. Byleth said nothing as the student sat there struggling to copy the text, her eyes darting back and forth between the words of the book and her own.

"Stop. Don't go letter by letter, or word by word. Get the phrase down and write it as you recall it. The less you go back and forth, the better. Get it ingrained in your mind and recall it as you write it."

"...Okay."

Lucina did just that, and Byleth and Sothis both breathed a sigh of relief when Lucina copied the rest of the page much more efficiently.

"...I did it."

"You did it," Byleth repeated.

Lucina appeared relieved, leaning back and clenching her sore hand. Her handwriting wasn't the best and her spare quill was soon to become her main quill at the rate she was degrading the original's integrity.

"...Professor Manuela didn't give me enough time to finish my sentences."

"She gave you enough time. You will have to be faster next Monday."

"I see. Yes, it isn't her fault. I understand."

Suddenly, Byleth closed the book and put away the paper, leaving Lucina with nothing to distract her from the Professor's incoming wrath.

"You skipped dinner."

"I... lost track of time."

"Yes, I'm well aware. I've been outside for almost four hours now, and I'm very hungry. Azura was kind to get us both our plates."

Byleth pulled out two cold plates of roast vegetables and meat, prompting Lucina to join her on the floor for a shared meal. Giving her a fork as she took her own seat, Byleth placed the plate in her lap and waited for Lucina's impending response.

"I'm sorry," Lucina began, only to be stopped by Byleth.

"You are. You don't have to say it every time you see me."

Lucina gave those pathetic eyes again, killing Sothis but forcing Byleth to stand her ground.

"...Professor, have I done something to slight you?"

"No."

"...I see. Sor- Uh."

Byleth softened up again, looking her House Leader in the eyes, even as the latter ravenously eyed her food.

"You've seen your mistakes, Lucina. You've acknowledged them and you've faced them. One apology is enough. I am your teacher. I know when you are sorry and you are not. And..."

Byleth sighed, putting her fork down.

"Are you okay? I've been tough on you. I fear I've been a little difficult to comprehend."

"You have good reason, I understand," Lucina admitted, letting her fork drop as well. "You just want me to grow. My father was much like you. Er... much like you today."

"Good. As long as you understand, I don't feel so bad."

"What?"

"To be honest, most of me just wants to encourage you to do your best, to pat your head and say you're doing great... but that won't do either of us any good. You need to face your fears head on, and not just the ones on the battlefield. I need to be harder on you if you're going to catch up to the other house leaders. Is that alright with you?"

Lucina's face dropped, her hands twirling her fork idly as she struggled to come up with the words to say.

"Professor, I'm only good with the sword. I'm a princess with no sense of statecraft. I can't read a simple book on fencing without throwing my sword away. I can't even pour a cup of tea for myself! My throne... it's out of reach. I'm not a Queen. I'm a swordsman."

"That's why you're here, aren't you? The brave woman who stared down a helpless battle in that fort is the same one that needs to face these books and these quills. You're going to be a Queen, Lucina. It's not just for your benefit. It's for your homeland's as well. We are both here at Garreg Mach. I know I'm your instructor and it's alright to be scared of my disapproval, but there's no running away from responsibility. You can't run from me or anything else here."

_But I have a mission_, Lucina wanted to say, but those words would fall on deaf ears. Byleth was a Professor, Lucina was a student. That was all there was to it in Byleth's mind. In her own mind too.

No. There was more. She had the chance to do more. She wouldn't just save Rhea, save her Father, retake her future.

She had the opportunity here to retake her past.

She could return to Old Ylisse, claim her throne, her birthright not as a hero, but an Exalt.

She could make Severa's death worth something more than a few feet of Hoshidan dirt.

Lucina blinked rapidly, re-affixing her vision back to the present and to her Professor.

"I won't run. Thank you for being there for me, Professor. I will never disappoint you again," the Princess reassured, pledging her heart here and now for that goal.

"You never did," Byleth admitted. "I... kind of expected you to struggle on the certification, ever since we've started doing written assignments. But when you started apologizing, as if any of this was your fault? No, that wouldn't do. You are starting behind and that's all there is to it. You are going to work harder than anyone else here and the results will be less than anyone else here, and that's the unavoidable reality of it."

Lucina appeared dejected at that, but took it in stride.

"I see. Well, my shortcomings are quite obvious, aren't they? Thank you for being honest."

"But!" Byleth interrupted, hoping to change her tone. "Once was quite enough, wouldn't you agree? That was your one and only chance, let's put it that way. You'll get that certification next week, or else."

"...Or else what?" Lucina wondered.

"As a start, those late night spars with Prince Dimitri are going to have a little more Seteth added to the mix-"

"W-what? No, no, that's quite alright, Professor."

"Oh don't I know," Byleth responded lightly, placing her hand on Lucina's shoulder in assurance. "So shape it up. Don't be afraid of your books. I know you can do this. Who knows, maybe I'll change my opinion on your academic potential. It wouldn't do for my House Leader to be at the bottom of her own class..."

"...I'm at the bottom?"

"Yes."

"...Ah. When you say it like that, that really sets it in. Okay, you've made your point. Thank you Professor."

"Good. Now finish your food so you can help me with this cake."

* * *

_'That went pretty well. Thank you for the help. It was hard to formulate what to say on my own.'_

_'Why of course, dear Professor. I didn't even know I could take control of that body of yours but look at how it turned out! A little bit of my charm and we inspired Lucina the way you wanted to! The firm yet kind approach. She'll be working hard and that's for sure.'_

_'You're a natural at playing a motherly role.'_

_'Odd you say that. I was thinking I'd make a good mother.'_

_'But you're still a child-'_

_'Do you really want to finish that sentence?'_

_'No.'_

* * *

The Red Canyon of Zanado, 31st Morning of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I thought this place would be more... red?" Leo wondered.

"Red could mean the sky. Or maybe when it rains, there could be clay that-" Corrin was cut off, dismissed by her two brothers.

"Well here they are, right where the knights said they'd be. Are they waiting for something to happen?" Takumi wondered, staying on his stomach and barely peeking over a hill to avoid detection.

"They've made this land their base: They've hunkered down. They have enough food-stock to last a couple more months, by the looks of it," Leo observed, in the same scouting position as Takumi. "Which means they're not tired nor are they broken. We're fighting fresh fighters. At least... whoa, a hundred, by the count of it. That's way too many to be just a small group. These guys must be organized. Or rich."

"Alright, so it's the worst case scenario. How should we proceed?" Corrin asked Byleth, who looked to Robin who was a ways back, going over things with his contingent of knights.

"Tactician, what's the lay of the land?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, quickly joining the scouting party and scanning the area.

"Ooh, a pop quiz. Alright. Well, that first bridge is going to be problematic, but once we get past that there's a divergence where a smaller team can loop around the canyon while the rest of us occupy their main force at the second bridge. Standard pincer. I'm assuming their leader is hiding in that fort in the distance. We bag him, this whole area falls to our control."

"A pincer from the east and south. That'll do. What are your contingencies?"

"Fliers. They haven't shown any mounted units, but if they do, we'll have to rebound back and protect our mages and archers. Alternatively, we press further in and attempt to take control of the defensive ridge up there."

"Unlikely, but like you said, they haven't shown any mounted units. Anything else to add, Corrin?"

"Let's see..."

Corrin scooted in between Byleth and Robin, her eyes sharper than anyone else in the group. Pointing beneath the bridge, she found a potential snag.

"Those archers are out of reach if we're taking the bridges. Takumi and Leo will have to be careful as they're our only ranged units not counting Robin. They're the only ones that can safely engage their archers."

"Excellent. I would have done much of the same, but keep Leo out of range for now. Archers reign king on these open flats, even more so given the limited range of magic. Let's utilize our platoons as well, lest we forget we're fighting with thirty knights apiece. White Dragons, fall out. House Leader, take point."

Lucina nodded, strapping her newly-earned myrmidon belt and feeling her hip for Falchion and her dagger, finding reassurance that they were safely attached. "Understood, Professor. I'll lead the charge."

* * *

The White Dragons got into position, Lucina and Tiki in the very front with everyone filing in behind them.

"Shall we charge in?" Tiki asked, but Lucina shook her head.

"Takumi, let's start with you. Rain arrows on them," Lucina ordered. "On his mark, we charge. Leo, get ready to repel the stragglers. Azura, you and your healers stand back."

"Got it," Takumi complied, moving back onto the ridge where they were scouting and began lining up a shot with Fujin Yumi.

"Set your sights on the second closest group," Byleth advised. "250 yards, give or take. Let's see if you can nab them on the first shot."

"250 yards," Takumi relayed, the archers by his side drawing their longbows alongside the commander. "Loose!"

With a torrent of cracks, the arrows launched forward, a small cloud of black racing towards the distant target.

Short. A little too short.

The bandits looked right towards them, and the Dragons would never get the bridge at the rate they were moving.

"Damn it. Now they know we're here and none of them are dead."

A shattering of glass.

* * *

_'This early? Are you sure?'_

_'The element of surprise is essential. We've lost first-strike. I can't risk that.'_

_'Sure. That's fair. Be careful, I can only do this so many times without both of us feeling the strain.'_

* * *

"Set your sights on the second closest group," Byleth advised. 280 yards, so aim high. Slight headwinds."

"280 yards," Takumi relayed, the archers by his side raising their bows to compensate. "Loose!"

With a torrent of cracks, the arrows launched forward, a small cloud of black racing towards the distant target.

"Perfect," Byleth whispered, nodding to Lucina with a firm confidence.

"That's it. Charge!" Lucina called out, "Cross the bridge quickly!"

"Stride! Now!" Robin called out, commanding his mages to perform a physical-enhancing spell on the vanguard of the Dragons. With inhuman pace, Lucina and her swordsmen crossed the bridge in a matter of moments and crashed into the still-off-guard bandits, just as the arrows sailed overhead. Cutting the majority down in the chaos, the survivors were picked off by Tiki and her own small squad of elite knights. The arrows struck true, taking out any chance of reinforcements from the adjacent group of bandits.

"Professor, Corrin, left bridge! Laslow, Tiki and I will go straight!"

Byleth and Corrin complied, wheeling out to take the narrow bridge that swung past the left side of the middling ridge before them.

"Best catch up to them," Robin ordered, Takumi and Leo straggling behind the striding swordsmen. "Archers, down there under the bridge. See 'em?"

"I do," Leo called, channeling Brynhildr while his own mages dropped fire in a high arc. The gravitational vortex of Leo's Nohrian magic caused all the fireballs to converge onto a singular point, decimating the first archer position with not even a chance for the opposition to fire back. Takumi's arrows sailed overhead once more, striking the second group with a fusillade of unanswered arrows.

"So far so good," Lucina thought, even as the second bridge came into sight. "Get ready!"

Turning back, Byleth and Corrin had gone ahead, far out of view of her own group. She had to trust that they'd reconvene in the middle. With their strength and the dismal state of the bandits, that would probably be the case. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be thorough.

"Azura, peel off. Take your healers west. We'll handle this the gritty way."

"Of course. Good luck."

The healers ran off, leaving Tiki, Laslow and Lucina to face about twenty to thirty of the bandits while Takumi and Leo made good speed trying to catch up.

"Shields! They don't get through us!" Lucina ordered, placing herself at the center of the formation while her soldiers raised their shields and manned the foot of the bridge. Tiki and Laslow's soldiers were heavily-equipped, doubly able to cover the right and middle of the bridge while Lucina covered the left.

* * *

"That's no good," Corrin gasped, Yato discarded by her side as the deep gash of an axe caused her fresh new wound to leak crimson at an alarming rate. The offender lay in one and a half pieces by her feet, but her victory was won at a steep cost.

"That's pretty steep. Pull back," Byleth ordered. This wasn't a mock battle. That was a lot of blood.

"Oho no, Professor. Not this early. Besides..."

Corrin's body began to glow, and the cause ran up quickly behind her as Azura's group entered the fray.

"Lucina thought you'd run into a bit of resistance taking this narrow bridge. Go on, we're behind you."

"Thanks, 'Zura," Corrin huffed, flexing her newly-restored arm and entering the fray once more. The sounds of fighting made themselves heard even past the foggy bridge, a testament to Corrin's impressive running speed.

"After you, Professor," Azura advised, before turning to an object in the distance. "Hey, if my eyes don't deceive me, that's a chest. Could be the war chest that's funding all these brigands."

"Go for it if you have the means," Byleth suggested, to which Azura nodded.

"Troops, follow the professor. I'll catch up to you. Lord Claude taught me a little trick to get into treasuries like these..."

* * *

Lucina fended off three spears, not feeling any immediate danger despite their superior reach. Sparring with Dimitri had prepared her for the versatilities of the spear, but also their weaknesses. Deflecting a wide sweep, she got in close and ran the first brigand through. In the confusion, her soldiers finished off the other two, clearing up some space.

"Well done," she called back.

"As to you, Princess," the soldiers responded, saluting as they got back into formation.

_This whole battalion thing isn't so bad._

Glancing over at Tiki's side, she had just finished off a poor brigand with the jagged edge of the Sword of Seiros. To see the Voice of Naga fighting like this was rather terrifying. Maybe it was her harsh and acute movements, or the way that just like Seiros had once done, Tiki cut down her foes without hesitation. Her swordsmanship was incredible! What was Rhea teaching her that Tiki could best all of these bandits so easily?

And how did Robin take her down during the mock battle if that was the case?

Lucina's thoughts were interrupted as a joint barrage of fire and arrows came soaring overhead, incinerating and skewering any hope of resistance from beyond the bridge.

"We're clear," Lucina called behind her, ignoring the screams and smells of the battlefield she had not been a part of in so long...

* * *

Azura dropped a rather hefty sack of gold at Byleth's feet, causing the Professor to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'm suspecting there's at least 3 to 4 thousand gold pieces in here, which explains how they corralled this many bandits under one leadership."

"Imperial and Kingdom gold. Whoever is bankrolling these guys are covering their tracks," Byleth observed, feeling a couple gold coins inside the bag. "Or these guys are just your standard pillagers. If that's the case..."

"Well, we'll think about it later," Robin interrupted, having joined their side. "Corrin is having a grand time, don't you see?"

Lo and behold, Corrin was making quick work of the west encampment of bandits, and she was getting close to reuniting with the northern group of the Dragons. Her previous arm injury aside, she was untouchable out there as Yato weaved in and out of the less-prepared bandits. Even her own soldiers seemed emboldened by their fearless leader, covering Corrin's angles as she pressed further on.

"Here," Byleth ordered, handing the gold to the Blade Breaker second. "Ensure that this is secure."

"Of course, Demon," the man sad with a salute, backing off.

"Demon?" Azura and Robin wondered, not saying it out loud. Besides, Byleth had already run off ahead.

* * *

"A pleasure seeing you again," Lucina greeted, examining Corrin and Byleth's handiwork. "The leader is in there, along with who knows how many of his men."

The fort was much akin to the one from the mock battle, able to garrison about twenty to thirty men within. Thick walls and a high profile suggested multiple floors in the interior.

"Leo, the gate. I don't want to deal with it," the professor commanded, pointing a finger at the portcullis. Without delay, a roar of fire crashed through, slagging the bars to a glowing mulch. On cue, Takumi and his archers had launched several shots apiece, taking down a few unlucky bandits that had peeked into the open.

Azura and Robin caught up, as well as Tiki's own group. Laslow stayed behind to watch the bridge for reinforcements, but his numbers wouldn't have helped much in the terms of the favor of things.

"We outnumber them heavily, but they have the advantage of defenses. Be thorough," Byleth warned, pressing against the walls.

"Robin..." Lucina began, sneaking up to the fort from the side. She pointed upwards, towards the highest ramparts.

"Ah, the stunt Annette pulled?" Robin wondered, having caught rumors of a maneuver involving said wind mage boosting Lucina up during the mock battle.

"Yes, the same. I'll take out their sentries from above."

"Of course, Princess."

"Knights, stay behind. We'll be quick about it," Byleth advised, keeping her platoon back and signalling for the others about to storm in to do the same. They stood down, waiting in formation as the captains went about their infiltration.

Robin pressed against the wall, channeling his warp spell and sending Lucina a few feet above the highest portion of the fort. The sound of clashing swords was heard and the rest of the White Dragons quickly stormed in.

As if by design, Lucina's first foe fell three stories with a sucking chest wound to join him, crashing into the dirt with a sickening thud. Leo and Takumi took care of the archers on the second floor, while Byleth faced down the commander in the very center of the fortress.

"You!"

Was that... what was his name...

"Hey, that was the guy from Remire," Corrin whispered, standing side by side with the Professor.

"Surrender!" Corrin called out, but Byleth stopped her.

"They all die."

"O-oh. I thought because they were cornered..."

Brandishing her sword, Byleth leveled it out against Kostas' incoming attack, challenging him to make the first move. Just like he had attempted against Edelgard a month ago, the crushing blow from above was met with a sharp parry to the haft of his axe, splintering the sturdy wood from the impact and sending the head bouncing harmlessly into the ground.

Without hesitation, Byleth had walked up to the fallen man and ran him through to the hilt, embedding her sword in the ground with no chance for him to even pull it out.

Corrin gulped, having cut down her fair share of enemies but not quite as efficiently as Byleth had.

"That was... quick."

"Stay on guard," Byleth warned, turning away to survey the fort. There was still a couple bandits left, but most of them were quickly on the route to dispatch. Tiki and Corrin had made certain to sterilize the ground level, and Takumi, Robin, and Leo had done well to silence any attackers from the second floor. Lucina was well on her way to finishing up on the third.

Except for an archer. Lucina had landed past him, unaware of his position. He was making ready to draw.

"Takumi! 3rd floor-"

It was too late, and the man loosed just as Takumi took him down. His arrow flew true towards its intended target. Byleth's words died in her throat, futile as they were to warn Lucina.

Clean through the back.

The arrow had pierced her cape and cloth armor, entering through her heart and out the other side.

It was just one arrow. One simple mistake. How...

The Princess fell to the ground in a heap, her silver cape stained an undeniable red even as she reached a helpless hand back towards her mentor.

"Father," Lucina choked, her hand dropping.

Byleth could only stare back, her eyes blank as she watched her House Leader perish out of reach, isolated from everyone she had ever known.

"P-professor," Corrin whimpered, dropping Yato.

A shattering of glass.

* * *

_'No!'_

_'Professor, relax. I've stopped time like I always do. Relax!'_

_'I... I... Lucina... she's...'_

_'Get a hold of yourself, Professor! Stop that archer. Don't let that image stay in your head, Byleth. You have to trust me. I'm taking us back, okay? Don't let it stick in your head, as real as that was.'_

_'...Yes, Sothis. I can't... I won't let that happen again.'_

* * *

"Hey, that was the guy from Remire," Corrin whispered, standing side by side with the Professor. Byleth was shaken from her trance, instantly spotting the archer that was soon to die.

"Surrender!" Corrin called out, but Byleth didn't stop her this time, feeling her sword in her hands and calculating the distance needed to make the kill.

"Not a chance, girl. We're not just bandits. I'm the Iron King! We-"

With a rough shove from Byleth, Corrin charged in, engaging Kostas in single combat and deflecting his incoming blow as easily as Byleth would have. With a shout, Byleth threw her sword end over end, watching it sail in a beautiful arc before embedding itself clean in the archer's leg, bringing him down.

Behind her, Corrin quickly dispatched Kostas as she had so many others, disarming him and running him through the throat with Yato and an uncharacteristically satisfied exhale.

The archer fell to the ground, giving Lucina enough time to catch his movements and take him down, sending his body crashing down onto the second floor.

And just like that, the Red Canyon was secure.

The White Dragons had not suffered a single injury.


	10. A Cold Northern Wind

The Ashen Demon was a household name among mercenaries- the very definition of a swordsman worth her weight in gold.

Cold, unflinching, efficient. When it came down to it, every last one of her movements was masterfully drilled for the sole purpose of extinguishing a lesser fighter's life. The blood on her hands puddled at her feet, but not even the weight of hundreds of souls would drag her steps.

The specifics were unclear, but when Byleth turned 17 (her actual birthday was unknown to all, but Jeralt had decided that Byleth was to be 17 on that specific day) she started putting her very specific set of talents to work. On one of the Blade Breaker's first jobs with her as a member, the Ashen Demon- then known simply as Byleth- was disarmed. Her opponent was a skilled rider, a former knight of a now-impoverished Faerghus duke. With a mighty sweep from his lance, Byleth's sword flew out of her hands as she narrowly avoided being trampled.

And yet, as the story goes, the Ashen Demon did not so much as blink.

As the knight circled around for another pass, Byleth effortlessly sidestepped shy of the blow, her portion of the bout already fulfilled. In the knight's neck was her dagger, thrown with expert precision into the gap separating chest-plate from chin-guard. When she walked over to the crawling body to retrieve her sidearm, onlookers reported that she extracted the blade without a word, instead driving it again into the back of the man's neck thrice more to confirm her victory.

And all that, with not so much as a sigh of relief.

Upon her rapid promotion to third-in-command of the Blade Breakers, the men under her order felt as if hell itself was leading the charge, and they simple foot-soldiers relegated to being mere onlookers. The Demon's orders were concise, clear. Not once did they suffer a serious casualty. And if one did manage to glimpse upon their own death, Byleth would be there, icy as ever to assess the damage and treat the injury with a flat, even tone and a calming yet un-motherly touch.

It became a running joke among the Breakers that Byleth could probably get shot in the torso with a fusillade of arrows, or perhaps take an axe to the chest and she _might_ even gasp for the effort. Only if they hit a vital organ, though. Unfortunately for them, those arrows would never strike true, if at all. Any axes that came within striking distance of the Demon were quickly and efficiently emancipated from their owner's grip, hands sometimes included.

On her 21st Birthday (which was definitely not on the same day as her 20th or 19th) the men shared a toast in honor of the Ashen Demon. And lo and behold, the master of hell graced her loyal subjects with the very slight upturns of a grin. For those few seconds, the Blade Breakers became the only souls in Fódlan to have ever witnessed a paradox.

The Demon could smile.

* * *

The truth was, it simply was hard for Byleth to express any sort of emotion she felt. Sure, mercenary work was one thing, and it was a talent rare and admirable to be so level-headed when surrounded by the dangers of combat. But how about all those times between jobs? She would share a dance with her father during the Harpstring festival with not even a curve to her lips. But oh, the fluttering in her chest! Her feet were light not just because of the music, but the fun! She could prance on those wooden floors for hours long after the fiddler had gone to bed.

And yet...

And yet the words never seemed to come out until long after the moment had passed. Her laugh was dry, empty. The act of a smile felt... uncorrelated to the bliss she was feeling.

But Jeralt knew, and thank goodness for that. He knew that when he had braided his daughter's hair in the same ponytail that he bore, somewhere underneath that blank stare hid a world's worth of joy. When she was learning the sword, and that not-furrowed brow was starting to become slightly creased with the traces of annoyance, Byleth was already at her wit's end and he would stop the instruction there.

And when that little girl would awake from her nightmares and ask to sleep next to him, Jeralt knew not to gauge that blank face of hers for fear, for he wouldn't find any. Her heart was not racing, for it barely beat. Her fingers did not clench, nor did her legs quaver. But there was fear, somewhere in Byleth's mind. And sleeping next to her father would stave it off.

When she was placed in charge of the White Dragons, smiling became easier. All of a sudden, her cheeks started to work as if it was something in the many cups of tea she would share with her students. Or perhaps the many meals she would share with... her students.

Was it because of them? Were the Dragons and the other students of Garreg Mach the reason she could make some sort of connection between spirit and body?

* * *

But then Lucina fell.

Byleth knew in that moment what it must have felt like for a mother to receive word that her little boy who never quite grew up was killed in battle. What it meant for a husband to come home and find his love of countless years motionless on the floor. What it meant for one to truly lose a part of themselves.

When that sliver of wood pierced the shining silver of Lucina's cape and exited her chest, Byleth screamed in her mind, her fist clenching with... anger?

And yet... it didn't quite show.

No word escaped her lip. Not even a labored breath.

But Sothis felt that torment as well. Emotions of this strength had been felt before by Byleth. Joy, glee, admiration, love.

Fear. Panic.

She could recall a time when Byleth had her sword knocked out of her hands by a charging knight, and the only thing running through that girl's mind was the singular worry that she was defenseless.

But she couldn't put that emotion into actions or words, so Byleth resorted to dancing away from that second charge and throwing her knife. Because that action was much more natural to that body than the paralyzing throes of fear.

Expressing herself... it never came naturally. Neither pain nor drink nor humor could elicit more than a few laughs or grunts from her. Like two nations, the inside and the outside were foreign to each other's affairs.

On the outside, Byleth did little more than raise a hand even as her House Leader fell to the ground in a bleeding heap.

But to Sothis, that panic was something like beast desperate to claw out of its cage. It would never escape, of course, instead being tormented by its walls, never quite leaving the prison it was confined in. In this case, panic perpetually reverberating inside Byleth's mind, with no outlet to vent it out.

And oh, that sense of relief when the glass had shattered, and that brave young Lucina had escaped an early end. She hopped down from the ramparts, none the wiser, oblivious to the fate she had just evaded.

Byleth was smiling. What a precious and rare sight it was. Lucina wasn't dead. She was alive. And in that small moment, so too was Byleth.

* * *

The Red Canyon of Zanado, 31st Day of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"I'd say that went pretty well," Leo exclaimed, patting Corrin on the back. "Azura says you've gotten rusty, getting hit like that. Xander will certainly not approve, and I can assure you that I won't ever let you hear the end of it."

The Nohrian princess fumed, rubbing her arm gingerly.

"I took a hit early on, yeah. I suppose I wasn't in the right mindset in the beginning," Corrin explained, tracing the faint and fading outlines of a new scar that ran down her entire forearm. The last time she had killed... disregarding their first skirmish in Fódlan was... Hoshido? Had it really been more than a month since she drew blood? The thought made her queasy, but she shook her head. Bandits were a different matter than Hoshidans and Nohrians. Bandits only fought for their own.

"Healing magic is quite intuitive to me," Azura comforted, joining her comrades on the steady path back home. "And even if not, I'm sure you would have made your way through it no matter the case."

"Still," one of the knights joined in, whom Azura and Leo recognized as the officer in charge of Corrin's squad, "It'd be advantageous for you to stick closer to us, milady. We couldn't keep up with you and our formation broke. I'm greatly sorry for our lack of mobility, Princess."

Corrin turned, completely oblivious to her troops who were filed neatly behind the Dragons. Her expression quickly changed from a thoughtfulness to an earnest smile, one bright enough to disarm even the most hardened of knights.

"Oh, the fault is mine. I can't say I'm used to this whole 'Battalion' business yet. Battles in my homeland were much more... intimate. Don't worry about it, lieutenant. You and your men did splendidly."

"Well, if formations are what we need to keep us hale and hearty, then we'd do well to master them," Robin warned, his own troops laughing to themselves as they made idle chatter. "Whether it means Corrin slows down," Robin's trademark smirk arose, his eyes shifting to the lieutenant, "Or her soldiers speed up."

The man's eyes widened, bowing in apology.

"Of course, sir! We'll get to training-"

"It was only a joke, pay him no mind," Laslow butted in, placing a friendly hand on the lieutenant's shoulder. "Commander Robin here likes to rile up the troops."

"What can I say? I like high spirits in my armies," the tactician laughed, mirroring a bow to the lieutenant. "Honestly, don't mind me. And none of that 'Commander' nonsense, Laslow. You haven't earned that right until you beat me in Tome Stackers."

"Phooey, old man. I know your own schemes better than you."

The two Ylissenas shared a hearty laugh, the soldiers behind them in high morale as well.

"I'm surprised you learned how to pick locks, Azura," Takumi mentioned, shifting on up alongside his Hoshidan sister. "All that bandit gold is bound to procure us some quality gear. Actually, knowing the Professor, she might just blow it all on more tea leaves."

"Lord Claude has quite the rogue's skill-set. I'm picking up his good habits, I suppose. And don't insult the professor like that. All her tea comes from Ferdinand von Aegir after all."

"If not tea, then perhaps stuff for the greenhouse. She loves to garden, did you know that?" Takumi suggested.

"It's relaxing. Oh, speaking of, Dedue gave me some Duscur seeds, just like he gave the Professor. Did you want to plant some in our plot, Azura?"

"I'm already planting foxglove in my plot," Azura said with a shake of her head.

"Foxglove? That's... a flower, isn't it?" Takumi recalled.

"A lovely but toxic purple bloom not unlike a tulip in shape."

"Toxic?" Corrin wondered. "I hope no one in the Greenhouse is going to get hurt from that, Azura."

"Don't worry. A simple touch wouldn't do any harm. Though... I would advise Leo not to eat any of those blooms like he does his tomatoes."

"Ha, next thing we know, Azura's going to concoct toxins," Takumi laughed.

"Yes, actually. Lord Claude coats his arrows with a toxin that slows the mind once introduced to the bloodstream. Foxglove is a key ingredient."

"Oh," Takumi darkened, shaking his head. "You're awfully chummy with him, aren't you?"

"That rascal is fast friend of mine, something that is quite rare in my stage of life, wouldn't you say, _brother?"_

There was a hidden venom to her words, and Takumi backed off. It didn't take an expert to see what the songstress was implying by that jeer.

"Sorry for asking."

The group traveled along in awkward silence, the dust cloud of a hundred soldiers trailing behind them.

Takumi looked around, noticing how the rocky canyons were starting to fade back into the gentle grassy hills of mainland Fódlan. Odd. There wasn't any red to be seen in Zanado. What was that whole naming scheme about, anyway?

"The Professor is awfully quiet, wouldn't you say?" Corrin attempted, pointing ahead. Lucina and Byleth walked out of earshot ahead of everyone else, but it was plain to see that they weren't occupied with any sort of conversation.

"She looks more serious than usual. I'm sure she'll have some guidance once we make camp," Laslow predicted. "Let Luci handle it."

"House Leader seemed satisfied with today. What do you think?" Leo asked.

"She worked with her troops, and enacted upon a plan she concocted herself. She led us Dragons quite admirably. I think she's adapting quite well here," Robin reflected. "Mere observation of course, but besides Laslow, I know her the most. She loves it here and it's heartening to see her take this so seriously, considering..."

"Considering what?" Corrin wondered.

"Well... Let's just say her goals were pretty singular before this," the tactician said simply.

"Oh," Laslow realized, recalling his original mission before becoming sidetracked in Nohr. "That makes sense."

The sun was getting high, and Byleth raised a hand for the entourage to take a break to make temporary camp.

"We march at sunset. Get your rest while we can. I'd like to make it back to the Monastery by sunrise," Byleth commanded, laying out a formation for the camp.

"A night march? Well, I suppose it keeps us sharp," Leo groaned. "Well, I'm taking a nap."

"A splendid idea. Wake me up when it's my turn for watch," Robin agreed, motioning his soldiers to form a semi-circle in their sector of the camp before plopping right down on the ground.

* * *

"You wished to speak with me in private, Professor?" Lucina asked, House Leader and Professor far away from any prying ears.

"Yes. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this skirmish."

"...I haven't had the experience to fight many bandits. I suppose I performed to the best of my abilities though. We did get through it without an issue."

Byleth paused, but nodded in agreement.

"You did... well," the professor stated with a deliberate pause. "The outcome of this today satisfies all criteria set by the Archbishop and the Advisor for a successful mission."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that," Lucina admitted. "I was expecting a critique, all things considered-"

"You survived," Byleth interrupted suddenly, her eyes boring holes through Lucina's own. "You courted death and lived to fight another day. That's all I could ever want from my students. That's all a mercenary could ever want on a job."

"...I see. Well, it's thanks to your guidance, Professor. It's encouraging to have you by our side. I feel like we could take on anything-"

"Lucina?"

The Princess paused her trail of words, surprised to see Byleth's eyes so wide and... vivid.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Sometimes we just have to be glad we made it through another battle."

"I am, professor. I... know."

"Good. That being said, Lucina... I'm glad you're here."

Lucina didn't say anything, too off-put by the foreign sight of the corner of Byleth's lips turning upwards. That wasn't happiness, no... was that relief?

"Come. Let's head back to camp. We have a bit of a march until we're back in our beds at the monastery."

"Of course. And uh, Professor?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad to be here too."

* * *

Road to the Monastery, Dusk

* * *

Tiki and the lieutenant of her squad settled at the base of the path, still able to see Zanado from their encampment. The Archbishop's protégé fiddled with her jagged sword, dragging her thumb along the graceful curves of the hilt.

"The men have settled in. Shall I take first watch?" Tiki asked as her lieutenant lifted the visor to his helmet.

"That won't be necessary. The scouts from the knights are following us from the rear. They'll settle in around us once they secured the rest of the sacred site."

Tiki nodded, taking a seat on a fallen log to watch the sun reflect off the faded ruins of Zanado.

"Did you see any reaction from the Professor?"

"None."

"I can't say I'm entirely sure what the Archbishop asked of me," Tiki admitted, turning to the captain. "I don't suppose you have any idea, do you, Advisor?"

Seteth lifted his visor, not daring to take off his helmet but letting his verdant eyes meet Tiki's own. "Her motives eluded me regarding that odd task. But, I consented to the request so I must say overall, I'm pleased with this outcome. Perhaps my presence and disguise were... unnecessary. The knights could have handled this just fine on their own, but I'm glad to see that the White Dragons treated Zanado with respect."

"Of course we would. Even if we were spies would you really think we would defile the resting place of your kin?"

Seteth paused, shaking his head.

"And what makes you think that my kin died here?"

"You can smell it in the air. You can hear their voices," Tiki sighed, tracing the outline of the horizon. "It reminds me of home, in a way. 'Red Canyon.' Nothing here is red."

"The rivers, the walls... they all were... a thousand years ago," Seteth explained. "The smell was like iron, the sound..."

"Were you just a boy?" Tiki wondered.

"A young man. I didn't know the ways of the world, but I thought I did. That's even worse, I suppose."

"We never truly know the world, no matter how many years we roam it," Tiki mused, tracing lines in the dirt with her boots. "Even now, I feel I know next to nothing."

"But we know best. It's up to us to shape-"

"We do not know what is best for man."

"I'm not going to have this argument here," Seteth warned with narrowed eyes.

"Well you're boring," Tiki laughed, a light smile gracing her face. "So be it. For the sake of time, you win."

Seteth would never admit it, but in the sunset, Tiki really did look like one of them.

The robes of Saint Seiros certainly didn't help the argument there.

"I suppose I am," he replied after a very long look. "Will you retire to your tent, then?"

Tiki laughed again.

"Retire? You use the strangest words, Advisor. I'm going to take a nap, if that's what you mean- hey." The manakete trailed off, her gaze going past Seteth and slowly dragging to the side.

Seteth followed Tiki's eyes, and he could see Byleth walking alone by the river, back towards Zanado.

"Huh. Rhea was onto something. Shall we join her?" Tiki asked.

"Why don't you go ahead. After all, Seteth is currently filing paperwork and eating dinner in Garreg Mach, not masquerading as a lieutenant of the Knights. I'll trust you to relay information as necessary?"

"Perhaps. Only if it's not boring like you."

"Tiki."

"Fine, fine."

* * *

"Mind if I walk with you, Professor?"

"Tiki. No, I don't mind at all. I was merely gathering my thoughts."

"Is that so," Tiki led on teasingly, a lightness to her steps that didn't quite match her mature air. "You look so composed from a distance."

"That is because I gather my thoughts," Byleth replied, her voice sharing Tiki's jovial tone but her face as flat as one who was cataloging rocks.

"A joker, Professor. You're much more entertaining than the Advisor."

"That isn't a particularly difficult feat."

"Well, regardless. Is there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Nothing specific, no," Byleth sighed, her steps aimless but going ever towards Zanado.

"I see."

Tiki stepped back a pace, examining Byleth's composure. She wasn't tired, wounded, or anything physically hampering. Curious, perhaps? Intrigued?

_"I'm not expecting a reaction, but the Professor might have some familiarity with Zanado. Don't expect much."_ Rhea warned, causing Tiki to think back.

"Have you... been to Zanado before, Professor?"

Byleth stopped, closing her eyes.

"I remember this being a peaceful place."

Tiki raised an eyebrow, surprised at that response. It's as if the answer wasn't directed at her, but rather to Zanado itself.

A moment later, Byleth jolted in surprise, as if someone had jabbed her ribs from behind.

"...Are you alright, Professor?"

"Startled, is all. I must be tired," Byleth excused, turning away with a reassured nod. Still, her eyes were an iota wider than usual. Something had her spooked, that was for sure. "Still... it feels familiar."

_'Must you be surprised every time I speak to you?'_

_'I wasn't expecting you to join us. Please stop that.'_

_'You're a child.'_

_'You are mocking me. You always-'_

"I'm sure you must have had a job here one time or another," Tiki reasoned, gesturing the way back to the camp. Byleth nodded, not quite sure herself but having left her thoughts on hold. "Come, Professor. I think we've earned ourselves some rest."

"Yes, of course. Thank you for joining me, Tiki. You did excellent out there. Lady Rhea must be training you well."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear praise from you too, Professor. To be honest, this isn't the first time I've held a sword. No offence to the Archbishop, of course; she is a wonderful instructor just like you."

"You do show a manner of familiarity with a blade, I can tell."

"See, the thing is, one of my dearest friends from my childhood fought in a very similar manner as Saint Seiros was written to have fought. He was so graceful with that sword and shield, and I thought to emulate his technique as its similar to the style Lady Rhea is guiding me and... I ramble on so, don't I? Perhaps I'm just natural, after all."

"Well, you're certainly confident in your abilities. You should join us for sparring some time, if Lady Rhea might approve."

"I just might, Professor. It does feel _right_ to... fight like him."

* * *

Garreg Mach Reception Hall, 1st Morning of the Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"She seemed familiar with it as you predicted, Archbishop," Tiki relayed, having shown up a few minutes before Byleth and the rest of the Dragons were to join. "I suspect she must have had a job there with her mercenary troop."

"Yes," Rhea mused, knowing that not to be the case but accepting the answer regardless. "You did well, Tiki. I'm glad to see you unharmed, and that Zanado is at peace. I truly wish those souls find peace, having known only a lifetime of hatred."

"Do we know why they were after the House Leaders in Remire?" Tiki wondered.

"Unfortunately, that is still unknown to us. Their gold was standard mint, likely pillaged off of traders rather than supplied from a particular source. We cannot trace them to any known lord or house. As far as we know, they could have just chanced upon our House Leaders by sheer chance," Seteth joined, clearly displeased with that fact. "It is not worth pursuing as they are dead and thus our leads have run dry. Return to your class for now, Tiki. You've done your part."

"Of course, Advisor. Thank you."

Tiki walked away, wondering what could be so important that Byleth remembered Zanado or not.

* * *

"We have received word that Lord Lonato has rallied troops against the Church of Seiros," Rhea briefed, her eyes glazing over each of the White Dragons.

And Blue Lions.

"He is a minor lord of the Kingdom," Rhea explained to those out of the know, "He has been showing hostility to the church for some time now."

"A vanguard unit from the Knights of Seiros is already on its way to his stronghold, Castle Gaspard," Seteth added when Rhea didn't immediately continue, "Lord Lonato's army is nothing compared to the knights. It's quite possible the rebellion has already been suppressed."

A small solitary gasp arose from the crowd of students, with a few of them pinpointing the sound to come from Ashe.

"Even so," Rhea continued, "I'd like your classes to travel with the knights' rearguard to deal with the aftermath."

Lucina and Laslow glanced quickly to Dimitri, who stared straight ahead. It was obvious that there was a clear distaste for this mission and its parameters.

"War zones are unpredictable. We do not expect you will have cause to battle, but be prepared for the worst."

Rhea's face darkened slightly, her eyes narrowing with a stern expression.

"This mission should prove useful in demonstrating to all of you how foolish it would be to ever turn their blades on the Goddess."

The silence in the room was evident. No one made any comment or reaction to that very blatant threat.

"You may go," Seteth interrupted, freeing both himself and the students from the tension in the room.

With that, the two classes were dismissed, with Byleth and Hanneman taking up the rear to discuss scheduling. Ashe in particular was distraught, but Laslow and Dedue were consoling him to provide at least momentary comfort.

As the footsteps grew softer and softer, there was still a stillness to the air in the things that went unsaid.

"I should take my leave," Seteth whispered.

"Indeed. It is to be a busy month."

The noise died off after a long wait, only for a knight to walk away from the walls and to the center. She had been there the whole while of course, but there was a formality to things and she waited her turn in silence. Now that the reception hall was empty, she bowed to the Archbishop before stepping quickly forward, saluting sharply to Rhea and the Advisor by her side.

"You sent for me, Lady Rhea?" she asked, not really a question as it was protocol at this point.

"Catherine," Rhea nodded. "I trust you know the situation?"

"More than anyone else, Archbishop. I'll depart alongside the students. Lonato, huh."

The knight paused for a moment, closing her eyes in thought. They opened a moment later, their fire unsullied by the circumstances. "Pity. Anyway, I'll prepare my detachment and sync up with the Professors."

"Excellent. Now, before we part ways, I'd like to delegate a... discreet task for you."

Seteth took this as his cue, shutting the doors and leaving even as Rhea whispered directions to her bodyguard.

"Me, Lady Rhea? This task is more suited towards Shamir or Yuri. Are you certain that I should do it?"

"Have you objections? It is a straightforward task, and I trust you to find an opening."

"I'll do it. I can't guarantee it'll be clean, but I'll settle the matter there," Catherine guaranteed, Thunderbrand humming dangerously by her hip. Her hand graced the pommel, sending a wave of red lightning from her palm to the tip of the blade before fading away. Emanating a little longer than that, the Crest Stone of Charon awoke at the center of the hilt, glowing brightly before fading like the rest of the spiked blade. Rhea took that motion as adequate and nodded in approval, sending her trusted knight off.

"Good. Take care of your mark in the chaos of the fighting, and we'll be one step closer to safety. Thank you, Catherine."

"Of course, Lady Rhea."

* * *

Blue Lion Classroom, 1st Day of the Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Seeing as the White Dragons will be our companions for this mission, I thought it prudent to combine our classes for the coming month," Hanneman began. "I trust you all to act according to your station."

"Likewise, Dragons," Byleth joined in. "These are Kingdom affairs. I want all of you to defer to Prince Dimitri's judgement this month. Our job is to keep this situation from growing any more volatile, understood? Do not hesitate."

A chorus of 'Yes' and 'Mhm' echoed throughout the classroom, and Byleth regarded that as a satisfactory assurance.

"Now, before we start the day's lecture," Hanneman began, "I'd like to verify some information with Lord Dimitri. It won't take long, so stand by, everyone."

Dimitri nodded, leaving the classroom along with Byleth to converse with Hanneman on the grassy field just outside.

* * *

"Now, my lord, I do realize that this a delicate issue, but we are acting on behalf of the Church, whom Lord Lonato is keen on acting as an aggressor towards. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Hanneman, allow me," Byleth excused, stepping between them and staring the proud prince straight in the eye instead of giving an impassive glance.

"I've done jobs in Gaspard territory, but we never knew of the hostile climate. What is happening? Do you know Lord Lonato's aims?"

The Faerghus royal sighed, dropping his shoulders in defeat. He shook his head, seeing neither rhyme nor reason to Lonato's threats.

"I do not, Professors."

"He must know that he is not in any position to attack. This is a suicidal charge and he knows it. We have to stop any unnecessary bloodshed," Byleth reasoned, her tone level and unaffected by Lonato's impending defeat. Dimitri nodded as well, but the clouds over his shoulders and underneath his eyes darkened with a heavy storm.

"Doubtless, there are times when one must take up their blade, even if there's no chance of winning. But this... It's downright senseless. Lord Lonato knows better. If he had enough allies to back his rebellion, it would be a different matter..." Dimitri sighed before scratching his nose in perplexing cluelessness, not finding any aim even now with the renegade lord.

"I see. You have no qualms with the Church then?" Hanneman asked. Dimitri quickly shook his head.

"None, Professor. He is a man of Faerghus rebelling against both throne and Church. I... I will not hesitate to punish his treason."

"That's all I need to hear," the older man said with a comforted expression.

Byleth backed away, reentering the classroom while Hanneman and Dimitri shared a few more bits of information.

* * *

Annette and Ashe were talking in the corner of the class- the latter in hysterics and the former trying desperately to comfort him.

"Lord Lonato is his adoptive father," Ingrid explained to Laslow and Lucina. "This... must be hard on him."

"He didn't know about this?" Lucina wondered, to which Ingrid shook her head. "I see."

"Still. Is there a way to end this without..." Laslow trailed off, not finishing his sentence when Ingrid's eyes told him everything he needed to know. "Damn..."

"There has to be something we can do to help the situation," Corrin suggested hopefully, to which the two Ylissean royals silently nodded. Ingrid appeared more in thought, but voiced her disagreement quite sternly.

"This is a lord of the Kingdom acting against us. Lonato is rebelling with _his_ vassals, using _his_ resources. Lady Rhea is right. To draw your blades against her and the Church is to draw your blades against the Goddess herself. We must punish this action before anyone else gets hurt. Ashe... is already a casualty of Lonato."

"Punish?" Leo asked. "We're not a stern parent administering discipline. This is a lord who has abandoned his country and wishes to bring those under his care to ruin. Our mission is very cut and dry, connection or not to him."

"An offense to the Goddess is very serious," Mercedes joined in, leading fear to Laslow and Lucina that eventually Ashe would get involved in their gossip. "She may forgive all transgressions, but we must also help those in need. Saint Seiros was both the sword and the shield of Fódlan, after all."

Byleth picked this time to walk back inside, ceasing the discussion and bringing order back to the otherwise chaotic classroom. Aside from Ashe and Annette who she excused with a subtle nod, Byleth wasted no effort bringing her agenda into motion.

"We will be joined on this mission by Catherine, a high-ranking Knight of Seiros and Lady Rhea's personal bodyguard. She is there simply as an insurance policy should we and the knight contingent prove inadequate, which I believe to be highly unlikely. Regardless, she will be by our side, so do be forewarned that there will be a strong Church presence on the coming encounter."

"Thunderbrand," Felix whispered not really to himself.

"Hmm?" Byleth wondered, before not getting anything in reaction. "Anyway, this week we will be conducting individual field exercises with our troops. Get to work in tandem with them a little better. The next week we will be conducting full squad exercises alongside each other. The smoother we can get this operation to go... the better this will turn out for all of us."

Smoother, the Blue Lions realized, was for the sake of Ashe, and not for them.

* * *

Dormitory Rooftops, 8th Night of the Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Finding the rooftop access was a bit of a hassle, Ashe realized. To access the ladder, one had to brave the cold and webbed dark that was the attic. Not fun. Even after a couple runs, it was still a bit of a wild and frantic blur getting up there, fueled by adrenaline and fear.

Then again, it couldn't have been that scary, either. Not with this month's events coming closer and closer to a head. What was fear if not for the coming battle?

"Curses to it all," he muttered, laying his hooded head down upon the rooftop and letting his legs dangle off the edge. Hopefully no one would see his feet out of their windows this late into the night.

Gazing at the stars brought Ashe some degree of solace. The Garland Moon, just like any of her other sisters was bright in the sky, just beginning her wane. There was the bull, haunches lowered and ready to charge across the heavens. And there, a ways away from it stood the twins, dancing among themselves through the endless dark blue of the night.

And here he was, unable to sleep like usual. There was no heaven to find solace in, nor earth to ground his ideals in. All his talk of becoming a proper knight, yet none of the conviction to show for it. He let his eyes close, hoping that there would be some peace to find outside his room.

"You must be exhausted, nodding off like that. You're gonna fall, you know."

Ashe quickly sat up, startled by the noise and his momentum would have nearly carried him off the roof if not for the quick hands of...

"Corrin?"

"Yep. Wanna talk?"

* * *

C

* * *

"I won't ask about the lack of shoes."

"You can."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Okay, I am a bit curious. Why?"

"It's more comfortable."

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"You asked."

"I did."

"..."

"..."

The two students quickly laughed, Ashe's boyish chuckle paired with the subtle giggles of the older princess.

_Camilla always started with jokes. It made talking to me easier. I wonder why?_

"So, how'd you find me up here?" Ashe asked, rubbing his eyes from what appeared to be dried tears.

"Professor Byleth told us to keep an eye on you."

"She knew I was up here?"

Corrin shook her head with a smile, denying Ashe's assumption. "Actually, I took a guess. When something was troubling my mind, I would lie down on the rooftop of my tower and look up at the stars. It grounded me, in a way. It... must have been a lot like this."

"Oh. So you figured I was up here because you would have done the same?"

"Something like that, yeah. I... well, I actually saw you yesterday. My roof isn't very far from here," Corrin pointed back toward the knight cadet barracks where the Dragons slept.

"I see. I don't mean to trouble anyone, really, I'm just-"

"You're not. We're worried for you, Ashe, but we know you have your reasons. You aren't troubling anyone."

"...Okay."

_So, this is what they must have felt, visiting me on those dark nights away from home._

Ashe slumped back down, his head hitting the roof with a muffled thud. From below, the faint shriek of Marianne could be heard, leading Hilda to quickly check in.

"And now _we're_ troubling them. Must think we're ghosts, or something," Corrin offered with a light smile, showing that she didn't mean any harm in that. The archer smiled back, still gazing up.

"Corrin..."

"Yeah?"

"Is it okay for me to be scared?"

* * *

"So I take it you like knightly stories," Corrin guessed. Ashe nodded enthusiastically, his emotions much brighter than before. They were subdued, but at least they were... balanced.

"There're tons of stories of Faerghus heroes," Ashe continued, the conversation having taken many turns by now. He was lying back down, with Corrin next to him sitting with one knee up to her chest, the other dangling off the edge. She leaned back as far as her arms would let her, taking in as much as the Fódlan sky as she could.

"Knights, heroes," Corrin replied, memories rushing back to her own tower, so many worlds away. "Every page an adventure worth getting lost in for hours."

"Or reenacting for yourself," Ashe clarified.

"Or that, I suppose."

"It's stupid, I know," the younger archer sighed, bringing the tip of his hood over his eyes in embarrassment.

"But it isn't!"

"My sister used to tease me all the time. Eh, not that it bothered me."

"There's nothing stupid about wanting to embody chivalry, to ride out and defeat evil and..."

Corrin's phrase died in her throat, knowing the lies a young man or woman could dream to be all too convincing.

The Faceless ripped apart civilians. Innocent Hoshidan farmers, with arms and torsos emancipated from each other in a cruel spray of red. All in the name of glory for Nohr. It was disgusting. There was nothing knightly about that. Not the dead innocents, nor the dark beasts that did Nohr's will while her own knights stood idle.

War, she realized on that Hoshidan snowbank, was not so black and white. Was Ryoma truly a beast? Or Mikoto? If those Faceless had torn Sakura and Hinoka apart, would it be a simple tale of good defeating evil? Of course not, but...

"Corrin?"

"Sorry. I... was lost in my own mind. There's nothing stupid about wanting to become a knight. Nothing."

"Do you think," Ashe wondered, "That after all this... I can redeem my Lord's... My _father's_ tainted name? Will Faerghus ever welcome a knight, no, a _man_ from Gaspard territory after this?"

"Yes," Corrin replied, not missing a beat.

"...That's all I can really do, at this point, right? He's going to die... Unless I stop the knights and the church and... Damn it! You don't threaten the goddess, father!"

"...Why not?"

"You mean... Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. The Goddess has blessed this land with peace. To turn your blades on her is to... well, it's essentially means you welcome chaos and death."

"But you know Lord Lonato doesn't truly want that, right? No father... no good father would ever want his son to live in a land plagued by war."

"You're right. But he's made his choice, hasn't he? He chose to betray those he swore an oath to protect. Gah!"

Corrin stayed silent, letting Ashe yell his complaints to the night sky. A few moments later, Ashe calmed down again, his breathing still a little erratic but nonetheless controlled.

"You have siblings too, Corrin, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you... fight?"

"More often than you'd think," Corrin replied a little too quickly. Ashe didn't seem to notice her unease.

'My sister and brother teased me for wanting to become a knight. They thought that as the adopted son of Lord Gaspard, it was wrong for me to want to fight for Faerghus instead of taking care of the castle. But then Christophe died."

"Christophe?"

"He was Lonato's son. His _real_ son. He was killed by the Church. I don't believe he deserved to die, but he was..."

"They put him to death," Corrin realized.

"Executed for... For..."

"You don't have to say it. I know you don't believe it."

"I d-don't. Thanks. My brother... h-he was a good man and a better knight. There's no way he could have committed treason against the people he felt so proud to protect..."

Corrin didn't add anything to that, only nodding her agreement instead of trying to offer more encouragement.

"Do you think a knight should stay loyal to the ones he swore fealty to... even if they're wrong?"

"Of course not," Corrin answered, shaking her head. "If your heart isn't devoted to your liege and their cause, then what's the point of risking your life?"

"Because you swore an oath," Ashe countered. "Even if your ideals aren't being upheld and your honor is at stake and... ugh."

"I'm not the best person to talk about this," Corrin admitted. "To be honest, I ran away from my home. My perspective got dashed to pieces the moment I saw things differently."

"Saw things differently?" Ashe wondered.

"Yeah," Corrin replied. "It took all but a day away from everything I've known to learn that the evils I had been trained to hate were... not. I realized then that if my heart wasn't in the fight, then I would only die clueless. Then again, I'm not quite like you. I have no real duties. I haven't sworn my heart to some liege or king. In that way, I suppose I wouldn't know what to do."

"So... to you, I'm not wrong, even knowing what you know?"

Corrin smiled, placing a comforting hand on Ashe's shoulder.

_Camilla... is this why you visited me?__ To learn more about yourself?_

Ashe seemed uneasy at the touch at first, but accepted the gesture warmly after a moment.

"Of course you're not wrong, Ashe. You're a good person. And I'm sure that come what may this month, you'll do what your heart tells you to."

"I... Yeah," Ashe decided, determination riding a stern line along his brow. "I will. For my brother and sister. For Christophe. And... Lonato, too. They'd want me to do what is right."

* * *

Edelgard's Room

* * *

"Christophe Gaspard. I want to know about him. I want to know why Rhea had him executed."

It wasn't the most sinister sight, seeing Hubert in his nightwear. Still, the light of a single candle and the expression of a man with schemes to hatch were all Hubert could muster at the moment, and thank goodness that was adequate. Eavesdropping on that Gaspard boy was an interesting chance of a development and not an unwelcome surprise for the night.

"Of course, Lady Edelgard. I'll add it to our agenda. Though may I advise you quell your curiosity for now? The next phase of our plans is approaching rapidly. We'll need to be a step ahead of those pale worms and the church from this point onward."

Edelgard was dressed much the same. To any outsider, this was simply a lord and her retainer discussing trivial things long after conventional hours of discussion. What actually was happening...

Actually, this was pretty trivial.

"Of course I know that. You, however, are quite right. My curiosities as of late have been far too flippant. Hmm."

"It is understandable. Gaspard territory would be useful to our operations up north. Still, I must reign you back on your task if you will not do so yourself. Seeing as we've covered your itinerary for tomorrow, shall we go over the plan to... entice the White Dragons?"

"Yes. I think I have a good figure on their ideals. Our main focus is sowing distrust between them and Rhea. For that purpose, I believe it paramount to determine which of them truly believe in the church's cause. The sooner we act, the better. This is riding on the gamble that they do not actually know that witch, that is. The less they get to know her, the better for us. Clearly, Corrin seems to have some reservations against preordained fate."

"I see. I had Jeritza keep an eye on their reactions this morning when the Archbishop addressed the trouble in Northern Faerghus. Of them, Lucina and Azura did not visibly react. Corrin, Leo, and Takumi were slightly distraught. Laslow, Tiki and Robin showed the most distaste."

"Tiki? But... I see. Yes, there's much we still don't know about her. She may bleed the same blood as that snake, but perhaps a softer heart beats it. Still, we can't trust anything she does."

"And what of Robin and Laslow?" Hubert wondered.

Edelgard gave the thought a momentary pause, but little more than that.

"Robin and Lysithea are still a priority to me. Personal ones. And besides, my plan for Robin is already well developed. Or did you forget our engagement tomorrow?"

"Ah, yes, our lunch. I pray he does not bore me."

"Oh, he won't. There's a sharpness to him, in case you've forgotten. You prod him, he may just prod back."

"Again, not a concern. And what of Laslow?"

"A trickier approach. We'll need to get a better gauge on his relationship with his sister. For now, let's worry about Robin."

"I try not to. But if you insist, it shall be done."

* * *

Garreg Mach Dining Hall, 9th Day of the Garland Moon

* * *

"So within days of finding you comatose on the ground, you were made into Ylisse's tactician? That is hardly believable."

Edelgard winced at Hubert's acute opinions, but kept it to herself.

"Hey, I didn't decide upon that. I simply fell in where fate decided I should fall. Clueless amnesiac to 'Tactician of the Shepherds.' Simple as that."

"Shepherds? That's a horrendous name for a nation's army. What, are your countrymen naught but a mindless herd or flock?"

"Princess, do grant me some credit: I didn't come up with the name. Oh, and the people of my country wouldn't like to be called sheep either. This is simply how my liege deemed things to be. Oh come now, Princess, don't give me that look."

"When things are in poor taste, my lady has the right to voice her discomforts," Hubert snapped. Edelgard rolled her eyes, but still kept a steady challenge towards Robin.

"I must concur with Hubert. It's not the _best_ name."

Robin and Hubert sat across from Edelgard, the three of them sharing a nice meal between the morning and evening classes. This specific meeting had had its conceptual plans in motion for a while, and Robin was personally excited to get to know both the princess and her creepy ghoul of a retainer a little better.

"Alright then," Robin decided, meeting Adrestian steel with his own tempered edge. He flashed Edelgard with a coy glare, beckoning her to try her best. "What name would you come up when you decide to lead Adrestia's elite?"

"That is hardly a fitting-" Hubert attempted, but the emperor-to-be shot an answer right off her next breath.

"Black Eagle Strike Force."

"..."

"..."

"..."

_No reaction?_

"What?" Edelgard wondered, having about half of an instant to her own thoughts before Robin burst into a wheezing guffaw. Even Hubert seemed visibly distraught, parsing his lips and biting down hard on his own teeth to hide his growing embarrassment.

"...No," Robin quickly corrected, shaking his head and gasping for air. "No, no."

"You asked for a fitting name for an Adrestian unit and I gave it. What do you find so amusing-"

"Strike Force? That's uh... Lady Edelgard, did you perhaps come up with this group as a child?" Robin asked, much to the dismay of Hubert.

"Of course not," Edelgard responded with a stern pout. "I thought of that moniker just a few weeks ago during class-"

"Lord Vestra, do back me up here..."

"I must concur with Robin, Lady Edelgard. Perhaps we might pursue alternative outlets-"

"Is it really so childish?"

"Yes."  
"Yes."

Edelgard appeared dejected, huffing to herself silently at her retainer's betrayal.

"W-well, the Black Eagle represents Adrestia's strength, and-"

"Strength you have in spades, Lady Edelgard- That's not the problem. Princess, how do I say this? It's... uh... tacky," Robin attempted, trying his best to show mercy towards the prideful woman.

"Hardly," Edelgard countered quickly.

"Robin does have a point. There is little to no intimidation factor to this 'Black Eagle Strike Force,'" Hubert tried to explain. Edelgard placed her hands atop her head, unable to decide whether to look at the traitor at her right or the fool encouraging him on her left.

"Alright then, Shepherd _Tactician,"_ Edelgard began slowly, placing her petty anger off to the side. "What would you call us, were you to be in charge of an elite Adrestian contingent consisting of myself and some choice individuals?"

Hubert instantly widened his eyes.

"L-lady Edelgard, let's not entertain fantasies," the retainer insisted.

"What, me? A high honor, princess. Let me think on that," Robin evaded expertly, sipping coyly on his drink. "I'll have to get back to you after I give it some more thought."

"Robin, do not get ahead of yourself," Hubert said through parsed teeth. What was Edelgard thinking with that little tease?

At that moment, Jeritza appeared, prompting the three participants to sit a little straighter. The professor paid them no mind, instead whispering something to Hubert before departing just as swiftly as he had shown up. A moment later, Hubert sighed and rose as well.

"My apologies, my liege. The good Professor has found a slight discrepancy in his... agenda. I will assist him and return posthaste."

"Of course, Hubert."

Hubert exited the bench, but stopped right behind Robin, just out of his periphery. The tactician didn't bother to turn his head, sensing the sorcerer's presence just by the chill in the air.

"Robin, you are in the presence of the future of Fódlan herself. Do act accordingly."

With that warning, the Vestra mage departed, his boots tapping smartly as he turned the corner back to the classrooms.

As the footsteps faded into the murmuring ambiance of the dining hall, Robin stared at his still-occupied plate, then to Edelgard's, who had just as much food.

"We're not done, are we?" the tactician asked. "I'm still quite hungry."

"I do apologize for his behavior. Why don't we continue outside?" Edelgard replied, her plate already in hand as she departed the hall towards the stone patio just past the door.

"Alright, sure." Robin nodded along, bringing everything to the table for two. The sun was fairly high, but the cool air promised solace from any heat or excessive light. The two settled down, continuing their meal among their own company, sans Hubert.

"So, Robin," Edelgard began. "I do recall you having a biography to account."

"I do recall it. Alright Princess. Let me tell you about myself."

* * *

C

* * *

"War? Just like that?" Edelgard wondered. "All because one of his soldiers gets cut down in an aggressive stand-off?"

"Gangrel was seeking vengeance. My lord's father had done a great many sins on their soil. Gangrel... was justified. He already had his reasons. All he needed was provocation. Which we gave him on a silver platter."

"So you make it seem. Then again, had my heart been set on an opportunity for vengeance, I would have jumped without hesitation."

"You? That seems hard to believe, Princess," Robin laughed. Edelgard wasn't the most physically imposing thing on the battlefield, but yet...

It was a good thing that axe was on his side during the last battle.

"Seeking vengeance amidst justice is a natural yearning, is it not? Those with the means and the will often pursue it by their own hand. You said it yourself: Gangrel was justified."

"...Yeah."

Robin looked beyond his food to Edelgard, seeing a trace of lilac fire in those eyes of hers.

"Vengeance," Robin sighed. "The Plegian people never wronged me. I cut down their sons and daughters regardless. There was no vengeance to fulfill in my strikes."

"Nonsense," Edelgard dismissed. "You fought and won because you had purpose. Your heart pushed forward and your sword followed. Er... you did win, right?"

"Perhaps," Robin led on. "Perhaps all of us were on the run, having lost the war."

"Do not tease me," Edelgard warned, her tone light and cheerful. "I may just believe you and consider you to be incompetent."

"That would be a shame. I suppose an under-performer like myself would just defect to another house for the next battle."

"That is true. If you truly wished to join the Black Eagle Strike Force, you would show a little more tactical acumen than 'losing a war,' wouldn't you?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"What's this all about, Princess?" the tactician goaded.

"Your mission this month," Edelgard began, "is to quell and sterilize Gaspard territory. Am I mistaken?"

"No," came Robin's flat reply.

"Yet Lord Lonato has no clear motive besides an apparent death wish. His forces have no chance of achieving victory. So that begs the question: Why bring students to a slaughter?"

"The Archbishop told us herself: to show what would happen-"

"Should the _future leaders_ of Fódlan raise a blade to the Church."

Robin sat there silently, gesturing a single slow nod.

"..."

"I see it in your eyes. You don't feel this... _execution_ is just. There is no vengeance to attain," Edelgard diagnosed. Robin lowered his shoulders, leaning back and letting Edelgard steer this rapidly devolving conversation where she so pleased.

"What do you propose we do, if not fight alongside the Church? Lonato is harming innocents with his rebellion. Shall we stand idly by while the church does our duty for us?"

"You are being sent to execute a man who lost his firstborn son to the Archbishop. That is not your duty. That is the Church placing its duties onto you."

"Whether Lonato lost one son or a hundred doesn't change the fact that he is hurting his own populace and citizens of Faerghus. Whether or not he is justified, we must-"

"Stand up for the people of Fódlan?"

"Do not put words in my mouth, Edelgard."

"I am doing more than that. I was hoping to put some direction in those aimless steps of yours."

"And where will those steps take me, when you're the one holding my reins?"

This time, Edelgard fell silent.

"You know an awful lot about this rebellion, Princess."

Robin's gaze was steady and ambitious.

But he was still listening. He was leaning forward now, as if he was... curious.

So Edelgard leaned forward as well.

"I do. Because it matters to me. Because it is important to me, and therefore it is important to the future of Fódlan. And the future I see has man standing on their own feet and accomplishing wonders through the ambitions of their own hearts. The church needs not meddle with the dreams of man."

"So you believe Lonato... is justified?"

"What he is doing is irresponsible. And yet, one can see his cards clear as day- everything is flat on the table. He fights because he believes his cause to be just and right."

"Edelgard, that sort of talk is-"

"He is going to lose, Robin. Lonato will die thinking himself to be a hero, not an example," Edelgard assured.

"It is tragic, sure. But he is not doing the right thing," Robin explained, not willing to compromise his beliefs for mere pity's sake.

"The church took his son. His future. To take vengeance into your own hands... I would do everything I could to ensure victory, were I in his shoes."

"Would you involve innocents?"

Edelgard gave that thought pause, shaking her head.

"If they are willing to believe in my cause and die for it, then they are not innocents."

"Edelgard?" Robin wondered, seeing that purple fire burning once more.

"A leader without ambition is only a puppet to those with it. When you reach Castle Gaspard... look his men in the eye. You will not find the innocents that the Archbishop said were struggling. You will find only soldiers willing to die for their lord. Because they believe his cause to be just. You will have to cut down men willing to die for someone else's cause."

Edelgard took a deep breath, finally disengaging from the middle of the table and slumping along the backrest of her chair. Robin still appeared deep in thought, but also relaxed his posture.

The fact that Robin hadn't left yet was slightly encouraging, but Edelgard feared she may have been a little too overzealous.

There was pause between them. Their plates had gone relatively untouched, but this wasn't the appropriate atmosphere for a meal.

Slowly, the tactician gave a single nod of approval.

"The people of Adrestia are in good, capable hands, it appears. You'll make a fine ruler, Princess Edelgard," Robin admitted, taking a long breath and a sip of his drink.

_Funny,_ Edelgard thought. _No one ever told me that. Not that I had any doubts._

"And so would you," Edelgard countered, smiling lightly. Robin laughed at the notion, scratching his head.

"Me? Oh goodness, I have no place on a throne. Not that I have any blood to claim a crown, anyway. I think I'll-"

"Now who said anything about blood?" Edelgard wondered.

"Hmm?"

"You have all the traits of a noble lord. You are pragmatic, yet you will not compromise the high road of your beliefs. You know your friends' hearts, and foster their strength. What difference would twenty Shepherds be to thousands of citizens under your care?"

"I'm just a tactician, Princess. Not even that. Right now, I'm just a student."

"That is not the way I see it. I see you and your potential to be a truly just leader, worthy of his peoples' respect."

"What have I to do with your grand dreams, Edelgard? What good is one amnesiac tactician to someone with your ambitions?"

The princess smiled, leaning forward to attack once more.

"I listened to your story and I found myself captivated with its character. And... I believe I owe you a story of my own."

Robin leaned forward as well, clearly not in any rush to leave.

"Alright. I'm listening."

"Once," Edelgard began, "I had ten brothers and sisters."


	11. Mist and Thunder

Blade Breaker Camp, 1st Night of the Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1167

* * *

_"When the warm winds blow from the from the sea to the south of Adrestia, residents of Fódlan know that the rainy season is upon them._

_Before the heavy rains take their toll, the young women hurry to pick the last of the white roses._

_T__he ivory buds are woven into garlands and given as gifts to close friends or potential lovers."_

* * *

"Father, what are garlands?"

"Hmm? Oh. They're like... crowns, made from vines, leaves and flowers."

A young Byleth and a not-so-young Jeralt sat inside their tent, a candle the sole source of light inside. It was early for Jeralt's standards, but Byleth had a rather early bedtime nowadays. She was on the cusp of sleep thanks to the monotone gravel of her father's voice, guiding her through a a telling of traditional Fódlaní tales as a bedtime story. The child was as enamored as she could visibly be, the young mind taking in the imagery with as active an imagination as she could muster. Of course, her face didn't quite show such interest, but Jeralt was doing admirably getting the hang of understanding his daughter's... unique mannerisms.

"That sounds nice," she replied after a moment of thought. "Are they pretty?"

Jeralt chuckled, wondering how such an innocent question could sound so dull from a child's voice. Still, the question prompted the return of fonder memories from a simpler time, leading him to let out a quiet sigh.

"...They are. Your mother wore them quite often with the flowers I always brought her."

Those blue eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and Jeralt knew from that gesture that Byleth was far more interested in that than anything they have seen the past month.

"Can you teach me how to make one tomorrow, please?"

There were other tells to Byleth when her face didn't betray emotion- such as her clutching the rough blanket a little tighter in those small hands, or the fact that she had turned slightly towards her father, ever more invested in tales of Sitri's life.

"...Sure thing. Maybe when we set up camp after we cash in tomorrow's job, me and the boys'll pick some nice flowers for you. Is that okay?"

"Okay. I wish to make the garland alone with you, though."

Jeralt wasn't one to easily lose heart, but even his spirits sank a measure when faced with Byleth's blank face. He couldn't tell if his daughter was disappointed or thrilled or anything in between. But she sounded satisfied with that answer, and a kid, even one as weird as Byleth couldn't possibly be good enough at lying, right?

It was times like these when he wished Sitri could help him out. Even something so simple as a few words of encouragement from beyond the grave would mean a measure to him. But regrets weren't part of a father's job, and he would handle this one like he and his Breakers handled any other: with a guarantee of seeing it through to the end. They were the finest in Fódlan, and he their leader. Byleth wasn't about to receive a half-assed upbringing

* * *

When the Blade Breakers came home the next day, they stopped a while on the road from Enbarr to Myrdinn. The Blade Breakers weren't sure what exactly they were looking for, but Jeralt had asked them to scout for a healthy bush of Adrestian Roses. It didn't take long and the convoy moved out after little more than an hour of rest. When sundown came on that long road, One could see a young Byleth sitting in the supply wagon, fast asleep in the crook of Jeralt's shoulder.

A beautiful crown of white roses sat crooked atop her head.

* * *

The Magdred Pass, 30th Day of the Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

Byleth stirred awake, her hands still gripping the reins of her horse unconsciously.

"Something on your mind, Professor?" Laslow asked, noticing that Byleth had gone from comatose to staring at the roses along the pass.

"These blooms are growing quite well here," came the instructor's simple reply.

* * *

_'You have spent quite some time in these memories of yours, engaging in such idle recollection. Do you not know that we do not have a moment left to waste?'_

_'I can't quite explain it, Sothis. But yes, I should focus more intently, now that we're getting close. Sorry.'_

_'We're almost here, Professor. We don't want a repeat of Zanado. We need to zone ourselves in. Why are you daydreaming of something so strange at a time such as this?'_

_'I can't really tell you. I'm not sure, but the memory suddenly popped into my mind.'_

* * *

"Even on Fhirdiad's bitter soil, Adrestian Roses grow stout and strong," Dimitri joined in, nodding to the strong plants to his side. "If only our crops could do the same."

"They'd make for wonderful garlands," Byleth responded softly.

What did Sitri look like? Would the garland make her look as beautiful as Jeralt had described?

"Hah. Never figured you the sort to wear one, Professor," Corrin joined in, having spurred her horse further to close the distance. She was previously riding with Azura and Ashe, but had abandoned her friends to join the conversation further down the road. "Still, you love spending your time in the greenhouse. I suppose it'd make sense."

"As a girl, before I became a mercenary, I remember putting one on for the Garland Moon festival. Perhaps on the way back, we can pick some roses to make our own."

"I can imagine you would look quite beautiful with a rose garland- Wait, what am I saying?" Dimitri stuttered, shaking his head. "Do ignore my tired ramblings. We're not even close to Castle Gaspard and I'm already feeling tired."

"You were only speaking your mind, my lord. Three days and nights on horseback had nothing to do with it," Laslow laughed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he means to say that you'd look quite dashing with an Adrestian Rose in your hair, Professor. Say, how would my sister look with one, Dimitri? She already has a lovely tiara-"

"Let's not venture down that path, and focus," Dimitri advised, still flush from his embarrassed admission.

_"She'd look... wonderful.'_

Laslow gauged the prince's expression, only letting a warm smile out of the corner of his mouth.

"Sure thing, Prince."

Dimitri shook his head, biting his lower lip quite sternly. "No more of this until we've settled affairs with Lord Gaspard."

"...Yeah. After we're done," Corrin mused. "Not looking forward to what's at the end of that road."

The Nohrian princess instinctively looked back, catching the sad but determined gaze of Ashe. The steel in the boy's spirit was, if anything, admirable. Perhaps it'd bend from being so newly smelted, but perhaps not. He'd make a brave knight, she thought. But if this trial was what it took to forge such chivalry, then that was a knighthood not worth the weight of a dead father.

"We look straight ahead at the task at hand, and cut through until our goals are accomplished," Dimitri advised, his horse starting to show signs of fatigue after the long ride. Meanwhile, his own embarrassment had dissipated entirely, replaced with the darkening of his brow. "Until the day comes when I can sit on my rightful throne, this is the reality I must face. My people will never be happy with the current state of leadership."

Dedue glanced quickly down at the Faerghus prince, noticing the tell-tale signs of a contusion of metal on the haft of his lance.

"We're by your side, my lord. We shall all see this ordeal through."

Relaxing as his words may have been, Dimitri's deathly grip on his spear was ever present. The steel shaft was irreparably warped.

* * *

"I've heard many tales from the knights about you, Lady Catherine," Lucina began, admiring the swordsman that rode alongside her at the front of the formation. Catherine stood tall and stern, yet there was a passionate flame in every action she performed. Come to think of it, she was somewhat similar to Severa in mannerism, though that was a fair stretch to compare the two. She was... what, fifteen or so years older than them? Maybe less, come to think of it. To imagine the bratty redhead at that age was...

Oh.

Lucina laughed silently at the thought. Severa, her dearest friend. Would they ever reunite in this life, or the next?

_'Focus, Luci. Now's not the time.'_

Catherine joined in on the laughter, though for a much different reason.

"Tales? I'm sure I haven't earned that much of a legendary status yet. Still, I'm not too surprised. Thunder strikes the same place a lot more than twice, whenever I'm around!"

"...Uh, isn't it _lightning_?" Robin wondered aloud. Catherine winced, nodding in admittance but still not visibly agreeing with that statement.

"Oh, er... no. It's... Goddess, this might sound odd to you, but see, my nickname among the knights is 'Thunderstrike Catherine.'"

"_Lightning_ strikes," Robin corrected again, backing Lucina up. "Thunder is the sound-"

"Hey kid, let me finish. See here?"

The knight unsheathed her pronged sword, and with a firm grip the blade awoke with a crimson lightning.

"...That would be lightning." Robin did similarly, charging up Thoron and wreathing his right hand with a blue crackle just as Thunderbrand glowed with a red one. "See?"

"Thunderbrand," Catherine explained, "Is a Heroes' Relic. One of eleven, given from the Goddess to her Ten Elites, which were then passed down for generations. What you see is the Heroes' Relic of House Charon- The Thunderbrand. That's the _name_."

"Maybe lightning was called thunder back then and vice versa," Robin theorized.

"Wait. Ten Elites, but eleven weapons?" Lucina wondered. "Were there two weapons wielded by the same Elite?"

"There were originally Eleven Elites," Tiki joined in, her recently acquired knowledge of the subject quite fresh in her memory. "But the once brave Maurice fell down a path of irredeemable evil and hatred. As such, he is and has been resigned to be but a fell beast, no longer a hero."

"Quite correct, Lady Tiki. His bloodline has disappeared from Fódlan's many generations as well, so the Ten Elites are more fitting as the title."

"That still doesn't explain the thunder-" Robin attempted, before being stopped once more.

"Robin, come, that's quite enough," Tiki laughed, placing a hand as well as she could on Robin's shoulder despite riding on horseback. "We do not question you and your odd mannerisms, do we?"

Catherine stiffened at the name, but did not visibly show her discomfort. Thunderbrand was silently sheathed.

"I'm not so odd," the oblivious tactician laughed, batting away Tiki's hand playfully. "My apologies, Lady Catherine. It seems my tongue is wagging far too much today. Must be the fog, making me nervous like this."

Fog?

"Wait a second," Robin warned, signalling a sudden halt. Within seconds, the entire contingent of students and knights fell as silent as the grave, with only the panting of horses and the rustling of a dead wind leaving any sound.

No birds.

Just fog?

"What is it?" Catherine wondered, her hand still on Thunderbrand's hilt.

"We're nowhere close to a body of water," Robin whispered, lightning crackling around his fingertips. "This fog isn't a natural one."

Falchion was drawn, and the Sword of Seiros immediately after. Without a word, the battalions rallied by their commanders, leaving Robin's flanks covered except for his front.

"What is it?" Byleth echoed, joining up with Robin. "An ambush?"

"Wait, I hear something-"

Suddenly, a flurry of arrows flew in from the mist right towards Catherine and her men, only to be greeted with Robin's expecting and outstretched hand. Arcs of powerful lightning streamed forward, intercepting and incinerating each and every one of the incoming projectiles with overwhelming and brutally efficient force.

"Whoa, shit," the knight breathed, dismounting and nodding to the mage who had saved her.

"A fairly textbook opener, if not overused. But yes, it appears we have stumbled into an ambush," Robin replied, smiling back at the Professor and bowing towards Catherine. "Uh, Professor, mind if I take charge? These sorts of affairs are... my favorite."

"By all means," Byleth nodded. "The field is yours."

* * *

"Priority one is our horses and supplies. Healers, Felix, Sylvain. Keep them safe on the southern flank and away from the trees. If they get caught in the fighting, we're going to be walking home tired and hungry the whole way and that's exactly the sort of opening our enemy would love to exploit should they fail here."

With permission from the Professor, Robin had quickly abandoned the airs of a student and was in the midst of reviving his true calling as a tactician, guiding his fellow students with a firm hand and composed voice. As if by his will alone, the formation of the White Dragons and Blue Lions settled in almost instantly- shields raised, weapons drawn, eyes sharp. Thank goodness for the drills this month: these students trusted him. And he would trust them as well.

"Got it, boss," Sylvain said with a nod, bringing Felix with him. Like clockwork, the sound of lances and swords was heard. Louder than that was Felix, throwing himself eagerly into the fight.

"Leo, Takumi, Annette, Ashe, Professor Hanneman, stay in the mainguard, form a ring around the supply wagons. I want eyes in every direction at once. If you spot an enemy, don't let me do the same."

"Got it!"

"On our way!"

Robin nodded, closing his eyes and envisioning the map he studied of the Magdred Pass in his head. Opening them after a realization, he pointed a finger at Lucina and Dimitri.

"They could've wheeled behind us in the fog, so our rearguard will comprise of Lucina, Laslow, Ingrid, Dedue and Prince Dimitri. Keep our archers and mages safe."

"Affirmative!" the five fighters called out, bringing their men through the veil of mist and planting their shields firmly in formation. The clash of blades was soon heard afterwards, giving Robin a hint as to the enemy general's tactics. The howling of wind followed, accompanied by the faint _thwangs_ of dozens of archers loosing their arrows at once. No amount of armor could protect from such a violent onslaught, and with that counter, the rearguard was firmly entrenched.

"Our visibility in fog is going to be reduced, but we all know that. Professor, did we bring any torches in the supply wagon?"

"There's a few," Byleth responded, her eyes elsewhere and scanning for incoming arrows. "We weren't planning for weather conditions such as these in the middle of the Garland Moon so don't expect too many. These are just for the night patrols."

"They'll have to do."

"There you are," Corrin joined in, her men right behind her. "You're in charge, _Commander_?" she teased, flashing the nickname the two would've shared if not for the Shepherds impromptu episode of Fódlan-sidetracking.

"I'll be honest, I've never dealt with fog of this nature," Robin admitted, making a dash for the supply wagons. "Or any fog at all, actually, being that Plegia was nothing but desert and sand. Still, I do know my way around a sandstorm, and the key is illumination. But we need to mitigate this lack of visibility or else we're not going anywhere fast." He hoisted a bundle of torches, quickly untying the binds and oiling the rags from an amphora further inside the wagon.

"We can make a perimeter with the torches we have," Corrin realized. "Light them up, and quickly!" she ordered to her men.

"Thrown torches will cast silhouettes in the fog. We'll be able to see movement at greater distances," Byleth confirmed, lobbing a lit torch into the woodline with a grunt. "Breakers, advance slowly, bring the torches with you and push the front. Keep every angle covered and do not break formation."

"You too, men!" Corrin ordered as well to her lieutenant. "Reinforce the Blade Breakers. I will stay in the command element alongside the Professor and Robin. We need to get a hint as to their numbers. Do not let any rebel through!"

Shadows danced atop the surface of the mist, cast by the torches thrown by the tacticians and the advancing knights. With shields and lances readied, the knights pressed forward and breathing room was created for the three minds in the middle.

With a sharp movement, the knights under Corrin's command formed a second phalanx next to the Blade Breakers, ensuring that the north side of the formation was safe. The fighting was more fierce than it had been on the eastern front which was Dimitri and Lucina's side, bringing Robin to guess that the enemy force was centered somewhere in the northwest or possibly southwest, further down the pass.

"I thought the knights had this under control?" Robin recalled, dodging an incoming arrow and firing lightning back toward its presumed owner. The shot missed judging by the lack of a cry, but the incoming assault had ceased for a breath.

"That's what we were told. We'll just have to adapt," Corrin advised, Yato sheathed for now and freeing up both hands for the task of lighting more torches.

"Where did Catherine go?" Robin wondered, but Byleth joined in to bring a situation update.

"A small group of knights along with Catherine are pressing forward up the pass," Byleth reported, her tone relaxed and calm. Thank goodness for her cool head.

"We will cover her. Remember, this fog isn't natural. Can mages in Fódlan manipulate this sort of thing?"

"It's possible. It wouldn't be unheard of," Byleth agreed.

"Then let's bet on that possibility for now. Professor, Tiki- Bring your men up, reinforce Lady Catherine and the knights. Don't let our people overextend. Bring three torches with you. Push west until you hit the woodline and stop there. Actually, I have a better idea. Men, stride!"

With a cheer, Robin's mages bolstered Tiki and Byleth just like they did at Zanado. The effect was immediate, and the two swordsmen and their contingents were enhanced instantly. Tiki hopped in curiosity, impressed with the minimal degree of effort it took to get her off the ground.

"Good call," the Professor replied with a smart salute. Tiki nodded as well, flashing a smile at the tactician.

"Keep us safe, Commander," the faux-saint requested, warmly smiling even as the element departed with great speed.

Robin regrouped with his men, keeping Corrin as his field-adjutant for now. Taking quick accountability, he was pleased to hear that no losses have occurred yet, besides the light injuries that were inevitable from the first wave of archers.

"Nice to see our tactician at work," Corrin whistled, smiling in admiration at the Ylissean mastermind she had met under similar circumstances just two months ago. "Where to, _Commander_?"

"We're not out of this hairball yet, _Commander_," Robin echoed, pointing out a location and leading the men in a brisk jog towards a break in the woods. "We need to find the source of this fog. I'm expecting the rebel's numbers to be in the hundreds, just like Zanado. This fog will compound those numbers exponentially."

"Understood. If that's the case... There. The center of this small grove. The fog is strongest there," Corrin advised, her eyes catching the patterns in the mist. She pointed deep within the woods, and Robin could only guess that's where the mist was being... made? Conjured? Goddess, Fódlan magic was very new.

The small group of soldiers pressed onward, deep into the woods now. They stopped at Robin's signal a couple hundred paces in, forming a half-circle perimeter around Robin and his adjutant. Corrin almost tripped over the outcrops and roots, still not quite used to running in boots. Muttering all the while, she waddled up to Robin's side, unaware at what he had discovered until she bumped right into his back.

"What's wro- whoa."

A tree, once proud and strong, lay cut in half as clean and as casually as if it were cheese at a charcuterie. The end of the fallen trunk and the seat of the stump were singed and charred as deep and as severely as if it were struck by lightning. Next to it, three other trees were chopped just as cleanly. No... They were all four of them felled from one swing!

"Thunderbrand," one of Robin's soldiers whispered. "She passed through here. Probably ashed the poor apostate that was standing there."

_'This is the power of the Heroes' Relics? Goodness, that is overly excessive. I want ten of them.'_

"Thunder strikes twice indeed," Robin noted, whistling in awe as he gingerly rubbed the top of the still smoldering stump nearest to him.

"What was that?"

"Where there's lightning, thunder can't be soon behind," the tactician decided quickly, motioning for his companions to continue the hunt.

* * *

"One more, taking cover by that high oak tree. See him?"

"No need. He's coming right toward us."

Ashe lined up a shot, letting his arrow fly free with deadly speed.

Wide right.

"W-what," he muttered, knowing full well the release was shanked. The arrow slipped off the shelf right before he loosed, but no one else knew that.

"Don't get sloppy now," Takumi hissed, lining up his own shot and sending an arrow into and through the incoming soldier. Even with a fatal wound, the man continued onward, crawling on hands and knees toward the staggered line.

"He's done. Don't bother," Leo advised, gesturing for Takumi to lower his bow and stow away the second shot.

"At least put him out of his misery," Ashe pleaded, prompting Dimitri to raise his lance and skewer the prone Gaspard man into the dirt.

"L-lord Lonato doesn't deserve this," the man gargled through bloodied breaths. "You... Y-you too will s-s-suffer, in..."

Ashe closed his eyes, shaking his head in both fury and disappointment.

"Why did you drag them into this, father?" he asked to everyone and no one all at once.

There would come no reply. Not from the Blue Lions, and not from the corpse by Dimitri's feet.

"That seems to be all of them," Lucina exclaimed, catching her breath after a few labored pants. The fighting had gone on for about six or seven minutes, and she was winded after the constant dance of avoiding pikes and swords. Suddenly, as unceremoniously and silently as it had appeared, the fog started to dissipate. Like dew fading from the sunrise, the mist evaporated all at once and revealed... at least 30, no, 40 motionless bodies. Some were still alive, if barely. The knights were efficient more often than not, and there was little chance that any of those rebels would survive.

No, not rebels.

Soldiers.

Sons. Husbands. Fathers.

Men that didn't have to die for something as stupid and meaningless as this.

Lucina immediately vomited the contents of her breakfast into the dirt, retching and dropping Falchion all at once. She fell to a knee, wondering why in the hell she was reacting to such a normal outcome this way. After all, she had killed Plegians by the score without hesitation during the Plegian war. She didn't even spend a second to pay her respects, back then.

But that had been for the sake of the future, her conscience assured. Because of their deaths, humanity would surely live on. Her father would live, Grima would fall, and even if everything was so far away... hope and purpose stood right by her side.

So why did Lonato's men die? What future did they earn, spending their lives in such an undignified way? There were no spoils of victory here. She had killed men who were loyal to a lord, and the only justification she could tell herself was that because Fódlan would be safer without them. She had silenced those who believed they were doing what was just.

And just like that, the moment had passed as quickly as it had came, but Lucina still stared at her own bile in relative shock.

"You were mercenaries. I thought you were used to the sight of battle," Felix muttered, not entirely at odds with Lucina, though. If anything, he seemed... understanding of Lucina's reaction.

"It never gets any easier," Laslow replied in her place, shaking his head.

"You alright?" Dimitri asked, one hand holding Falchion by its blade, the other outstretched to bring Lucina back up. Lucina took both, shaking her head.

"Just a little rattled. Don't worry about it. Let's push onward. Ashe, Dimitri, everyone, let's go. We're ending this."

* * *

Corrin had been the one to have found the Gaspard mage. She had also been the one to impale the Gaspard mage to a tree with Yato, pummeling the writhing sorcerer with her free hand when he wouldn't die instantly. He hadn't even had a chance to spit out his last words before she had yanked out her sword, sending both bark and body rolling down the hill. And just like that, the fog started to wisp away.

"Remind me not to upset you," Robin mused, looking at the very much deceased mage at the bottom of the hill. Corrin looked at her hands in disgust, shaking her head.

"...Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been agitated for a long while and I haven't the slightest idea why-"

"Don't worry about it. Focus on this," Robin ordered, patting Corrin's shoulder in reassurance. "We can talk about it later. Alright?"

"Alright. Yeah, sorry. Ah, there they are."

Robin turned to follow Corrin's gaze, surprised to see allies so nearby considering the pace at which they were running blindly into the mist.

There stood Byleth and Tiki, with Catherine further down the road. The former were confronting an armored cavalier who was no doubt a station above the others. Perhaps he was Lonato? Catherine on the other hand was busy fending off reinforcements with the rest of the Knights of Seiros. She was well-outnumbered, but Robin could see that she wasn't in any sort of disadvantage yet.

"Let's move," Robin ordered from behind, punching Corrin on the arm lightly and giving her a confident nod. She didn't move instantly, causing Robin to pause mid stride.

"Still going to go through with it?" she asked quietly.

"I wouldn't forgive myself if we didn't try," he replied, just as subtle.

"Gotcha. Do be safe, Robin."

"What are you talking about? You came up with this plan. We just gotta group up with Ashe."

Corrin nodded, but she turned around again, pointing in the distance past their own knights.

"Well speaking of, here they come. Look, there they all are. Good, looks like we're almost wrapped up here."

* * *

Tiki hadn't fought a cavalier in a long time, especially not with just a sword. Be that as it may, Lonato was no mere cavalier. Even with the rust of age, the Gaspard Lord was as martial a fighter as any young one atop a horse. There was strength behind his blows, and a conviction behind his shield. Landing a blow wouldn't come easy. Meanwhile, his lance had already sliced two gashes on the manakete- one on the upper shoulder, and one on her thigh. She was losing blood and fast. Seiros' garb was beautiful and symbolic. But it wasn't durable in the slightest.

"That damn sword. Who do you think you are, masquerading as Saint Seiros?"

Tiki wouldn't be rattled, still maintaining an active guard even as the knight made another unsuccessful pass.

"I am not masquerading as anyone, Lord Lonato. These were a gift from the Archbishop, to help me inspire the good men of Fódlan."

"That witch has no right. Her deceptions, her treachery! She has no right being at the seat of Fódlan's power!"

Another blow came, which knocked the Shield of Seiros painfully into Tiki's chin. Despite the stars in her vision, the charge was answered by a slice of her sword into Lonato's side, bypassing his shield and carving a crimson ribbon from his navel to his hip even through his armor.

Byleth stepped in, having dispatched the soldiers by Lonato's side. Turning her attention toward the Lord himself, she caught his next charge just in time, deflecting a blow from his lance from striking the stunned Tiki.

"T-thanks, Professor."

"Good work, Tiki. Pull back for now."

Tiki turned, not anticipating the sudden change in strategy. Though it wasn't the order that surprised her, but rather the one who gave it. That command didn't come from Byleth.

It came from Robin.

* * *

"Professor, you should go as well. Can you make sure that Catherine and the Knights are alright? Men, please escort Lady Tiki, keep her safe at all costs. We have this traitor sorted and handled."

Corrin gave a reassuring nod beside her fellow classmate, flashing a winning smile even as Yato and Robin's magic were readied.

Byleth raised an eyebrow, but complied. She departed with Tiki, Robin's battalion and the Breakers in tow, leaving Robin and Corrin alone against the sole cavalier. If Lonato was surprised, one couldn't see it behind his expression of amusement.

"And what is this? Another of that infidel's lackeys? I already bested that mockery of Seiros, boy. Make the wise decision and stand aside."

Instead of responding, Robin raised his hand. Just as suddenly, he clenched that open hand into a fist.

An arrow flew from behind the two Dragons, striking Lonato's horse in the hind leg. In a whinny of pain, the horse bucked its rider off, sending him careening into the dirt even as it ran towards the woods.

"Nice shot."

Ashe quickly ran up, joining Corrin as the three students circled around the knight. Tiki's inflicted side injury was still fresh, but he wasn't about to back down anytime soon. Around him, the other students made a wide circle, giving the knight plenty of berth but no room to escape.

"Father. Surrender. Whatever you are doing, whatever your reason, we still have to talk it out! You didn't have to drag the townsfolk into this!"

"If that is how you feel, then loose that arrow, my son."

Ashe's eyes were shaking. And so was the bow that was already drawn to full.

Robin glanced quickly at Corrin, who nodded in reply. With a quick slash, The arrow was knocked out of Ashe's grip, snapping the bow in half with a loud crack. The upper half of the limb smacked Ashe in the head, knocking him to the ground in a stunned heap. Ingrid and Dimitri quickly stepped in to intervene in the act of treachery, if not for Azura and Takumi holding them back.

"Let them!" Azura harshly whispered, nodding in confidence despite not knowing the full extent of Robin's gambit.

Lonato was put even more at odds, not hearing Azura's ploy and definitely not expecting to see his son being cut down by his own allies.

"Ashe!"

The old knight dashed forward, only to stop in his tracks as Corrin brought her blade dangerously close to Ashe's throat. The boy's eyes widened in genuine fear, this part of the plan not revealed to him.

"W-wait a sec!" the boy attempted, but Yato got ever closer to his neck.

"Don't move. We're not here to kill you, Lord Lonato. I have a very specific demand which you should make the _wise_ _decision_ to comply with. Lower your weapon."

Robin stood at a safe distance, appraising the situation at hand with growing urgency. Catherine wasn't going to be sidetracked for long. This had to come and go quick. Oh, and Ashe was a loose variable at this point, and that would throw a stick into the works if he chose now to get fired up and heroic.

Needless to say, Lonato was seething.

"I swear to the goddess, you lay a finger on my boy-"

"Your arms, Lonato."

The spear fell to the ground with a clatter. With Lonato unarmed, Robin nodded.

"I want you to listen to what I have to say. In return, Ashe stays unharmed and we do our best to guarantee your safety. Is that an acceptable term?"

"Unhand my son, you revolting apostate-"

Robin gave a sharp nod to Corrin.

"Sure."

Corrin sheathed her sword, helping Ashe up despite his rather unwary consciousness. She then knocked him out with a chop to the neck, cradling his body before placing it gently on the ground by her feet. Lonato didn't know what to make of this development, and he didn't make a move.

"Kill me or stand aside, boy. My quarrel isn't with you, but that witch atop Garreg Mach. If this is how you wish to close this battle, having routed my army and holding the commander within your grasp, clearly you are nothing but a jester, wasting my time. There is no logical reason for you to keep me alive. I will not cooperate."

"Indeed, so it all seems," Robin replied, pacing around the unarmed man. "But you will hear me out nonetheless."

"I will not. Get out of my way-"

Yato flashed back to Corrin's hand, the cold steel tickling the fuzz on Ashe's chin. Lonato stood there, guessing his son was nothing but a hostage to these two. Robin took this as his cue to continue.

"I won't bother asking for your motive. Neither of us have the time for that and for our plan to work I need your cooperation. You're the laughingstock of Fódlan, you know that? Almost every noble and commoner alike I've talked to called this insurrection irresponsible, or a disgrace to the nobility. Indeed, almost the entirety of the monastery wishes is to write you down in the history books as a textbook fool. Almost."

Lonato shook his head at the overconfident tactician, kicking his lance away even as he walked toward his unconscious son. Corrin stood her ground, keeping her sword level with the advancing Lord.

"Call it what you will. I will tear down that false idol and restore the Goddess' mercy upon Fódlan with my own hands. You do what you will, and I will do as I will whether I fall here or fall somewhere else. No matter the end, I will die a proud father knowing my son will be avenged, whether it takes one day or a thousand more," the old man spat.

"Your actions will teach others that you were but a fool, and that a Knight as valiant and proud as Christophe was disgraced by his father's stupidity," Corrin corrected. "Is that really what you wanted to achieve with your life?"

A realization broke on Lonato, and his gaze softened just a bit.

"...You aren't Knights of Seiros. You distracted that wench Cassandra."

Robin nodded, smiling that he finally got his point across.

"Not for long, I'm afraid. She'll be coming back and there's no doubt she'll have your head in short order," Robin explained. "See, you have garnered _one_ fan who did a little bit of research herself. She didn't give any specific orders, but she did suggest I try a certain approach with you to the end of what I assume can only be the sparing of your life. Cath- pardon me- Cassandra was the one who condemned your son. Not Rhea."

Lonato seemed to understand that, and he lowered his guard, indulging Robin's offer for parley.

"Rhea and Cassandra both. They are both at fault, and so they will both fall by my hand."

"Is that really what you wanted for your people, Lord Lonato? For those who relied on you? For your sons and daughter? Would you really leave Ashe alone in this world, with the last memory he has of you being that you courted a worthless death in some selfish tantrum of vengeance?"

"You dare call avenging my son's death a tantrum-"

"You are justified, in a way," Corrin explained, stepping over Ashe who wasn't soon to stir. "But your crimes are unforgivable as a Lord of Fódlan. If we don't kill you, I have a feeling that whatever cell we throw you in wouldn't house your living body for long. So capturing you is out of the question as well."

"Then what? Are you going to _pardon _me? You must realize that the tenets of Saint Seiros are nothing akin to the ramblings of the Archbishop-"

"Call it what you will, Lonato. Kneel, by authority of the Goddess."

"Quickly," Corrin added. "We're out of time."

Not seeing any other option besides charging to his death once more, Lonato complied, sinking to one knee. Robin gave a knowing nod, prompting Corrin to back away to watch as witness.

"By authority of the Church of Seiros, Lonato Gildas Gaspard, we strip you of both lands and titles. For reckless endangerment of your people to whom you have sworn an oath of protection to, we condemn you to the sentence of the new Lord of House Gaspard, Lord Ashe Ubert Gaspard."

"...What? That can't be legitimate. You can't be serious-"

"There are some of us who believe you don't deserve to die. Indeed, the punishment we give you is far greater. When I fought your men today, I looked into their eyes and saw a loyalty unwavering. They died truly believing in you, Lonato. And you betrayed that faith. You sent these men to their deaths for a selfish and dishonorable goal. You have disgraced Faerghus, Lord Ashe, and Sir Christophe. You will live, and whether you choose to bare fangs at the Archbishop once more or choose to atone for your crimes is irrelevant. But know this. You have failed. You have betrayed your king, your Goddess, and your family. May your punishment be just and fair."

"..."

"Lord Ashe, I leave you to condemn this man to his sentence."

Ashe, still very much unconscious, could only say nothing.

"Awfully merciful of you," Robin mused, his face lined with genuine surprise. "Very well, Lonato. Lord Ashe has made his decision and so it shall be."

With that, the two Dragons turned away, leaving Lonato to face his fate alone. The other students had already dispersed, mixed emotions about the resolution of the battle. Still, they all walked off back towards the path to regroup, relieved at the fight being over and settled in their favor.

At least, until Thunderbrand surged forward.

"Look out!"

* * *

Robin opened his eyes wide, expecting to find his body in a billion different places all across Fódlan by now after getting struck by a Heroes' Relic-

Except... it hadn't.

What?

Thunderbrand had halted its approach, having been caught on a shield of immense stature. It was a beautiful thing, rich and dark and fading into a strong crimson. The rim was thick and sturdy, and its width a fortress of its own on the battlefield.

And behind that shield...

"Whoa."

A figure stood before him, having been warped in by magic akin to his own warp spell, if not identical in nature to it. Their shield was raised in advance, averting the imminent death of Robin the split second before Catherine could fully complete the blow. They were clad in a vast black cape with red leather pteryges atop the armored shoulders, and underneath was a dark metal plate mail covering their rather lithe figure from head to toe. Most striking, besides the red feathers gracing the bronze shoulder armor, was their mask, a piece of ceramic painted half red and half bare. A mighty red plume crested their helm, riding all the way down from the top of their head to the back of their shoulders.

"Stand down, Knight of Seiros. This one is not to die today."

Their voice was unnaturally deep, no doubt manipulated in some way by magic or something else.

Thunderbrand was dislodged, and Catherine tried once more to strike Robin down, only for the blow to get deflected by the Sword of Seiros.

"Lady Catherine, what are you doing?" Tiki asked, arriving with the rest of the Blue Lion and White Dragon classes at the conclusion of the battle. Catherine didn't immediately answer, instead disengaging from Lucina to reevaluate the situation. Her knights grouped around her, with the students and professors inconclusive as to which side to take. Not that it helped, but the knights serving as adjutants also sided with Catherine, forcing the numbers very much so in her favor.

"We had strict orders to take out the leader of this rebellion. I don't know what you're trying to pull, keeping Lonato alive like this," Catherine sternly chastized.

"And I don't know what you're trying to do, trying to ambush me like that," Robin retorted, thanking his lucky stars that this... knight... _thing_ had saved him in some sort of miraculous intervention.

"You have defied the Archbishop's order deliberately. I won't pretend to understand what's happening, but what I see plain as day is treason to Lady Rhea!"

Thunderbrand cut air, Robin anticipating the blow to come. With a little shove from the black and red knight, Robin had shied very clear as the Heroes' Relic cut a deep gash in the earth where Robin had stood a breath before, burning the grass and splitting even the pebbles asunder.

"I've already done my part. This was not the foreseen outcome, but a curious showing, and masterfully played nonetheless, _commander_. Now!" the voice called out, and both Tiki and Catherine looked around for anything to happen.

Whoever that was was clearly eavesdropping on Corrin and Robin for quite a while, given that the two had only exchanged the title of Commander this month during their drilling with the Knights.

"Now wait, who are-"

Instead of helping further, the masked knight was warped away by an unforeseen third party, disappearing as suddenly as they had intervened, leaving Robin and Tiki alone against Catherine and her men.

"Lady Catherine, what is the meaning of this? Lonato, I can understand, but Robin?"

"That is not your concern, Lady Tiki," Catherine replied, standing down temporarily. "Robin's death has been decreed and I am the one to act upon it!"

"Death? Decreed by whom... Oh. Oh no."

The Saint shook her head, raising both shield and sword once more.

"Tiki?" Robin attempted, before Tiki reaffirmed her position in front of Robin. Even with her injuries suffered from her bout with Lonato, she was still at sufficient strength.

"Rhea is mistaken. Stand aside or cut me down, Catherine. You will not touch this _innocent_ man whether the Archbishop ordered his death or not."

"Innocent man?" Lucina wondered, still very confused at what was happening. Why was Lonato alive? Why was Ashe unconscious?

And why was Catherine so set on murdering Robin?"

Byleth stood at a distance, watching the scene unfold. She had been running accountability on the soldiers and tending to some of the injured. When she had returned, she was met with... this.

* * *

_'Tell me you have a plan.'_

_'I can't really say. Just be ready to turn back time at a moment's notice, please.'_

_'Yeah. I didn't have to do much of anything today thanks to Robin's plan coming together, so I'm still at full strength. What on earth is happening?'_

_'It seems Catherine has orders to subdue or kill Robin.'_

_'Naturally, you can't let that happen. But Catherine is Rhea's captain. If something happens to either of them...'_

_'Neither of them can get hurt, in that case. Hmm...'_

* * *

Lonato stood there, watching the man who just spared him suddenly come under assault by the witch who had sent his son to die. Ashe was starting to stir, but was likely not going to be of much help. A question arose though- Who was 'Robin?' and why had Rhea also deemed his death a necessity? Clearly he had committed a minor form of treason in not taking his life, but surely there was something more to that if his death had been preordained even before this bout had occured.

Before he could say anything further, Catherine had rushed forward again to renew her attack on Tiki, beating down the fatigued fighter with superior speed. The Saint wouldn't budge though, and her guard held even with the deficit of skill between them. She wasn't going to get a blow in most likely, but Thunderbrand wouldn't touch flesh with the Shield of Seiros in her hands.

"Please- S-stop!" Tiki exerted, shoving Catherine away to create space. Glancing around, she could see that no one else had moved. That was a blessing and a curse. She probably wouldn't best Catherine in a duel, but at least the knights or the students would stay out of the fight. Robin looked confused most of all, his eyes burning a question into Tiki's.

"Tiki, why-"

"This is my fault, and I claim responsibility for this," the Saint called back to him. "I warned Rhea of the Crest you bore. She is acting in defense, but she is not justified! She promised to give you a chance! She lied to me! She lied!"

There was panic in her voice, and Robin realized just how scared and betrayed a woman could sound in those words alone.

"Crest?" Lucina repeated, and she could see that Felix, Sylvain, and even Dimitri had surprised eyes.

Hanneman on the other hand, paled.

"How..." he could only mutter.

Catherine brought another mighty blow forward, this time handily deflected by the Sword of Seiros. While Seiros' blade was rather long, it also had considerable weight, which was working to Tiki's benefit. Thunderbrand was immense as well, and a normal sword wouldn't possibly handle the stresses of defending against a Relic.

"She's good. They're both good," Felix breathed, not too concerned with the perils of the fight as opposed to the martial demonstration of the two trained swordsmen.

"Not quite what we had in mind, but yeah," Takumi admitted. "They're pretty good. Still, what are we going to do?"

"Nothing yet. They're evenly matched as well," Leo noted. "Catherine has experience and speed, but Tiki's holding with her blow for blow."

Clearly, Catherine thought, this wasn't going according to her plan. She wasn't fond of wetwork, that was more Shamir's thing. Still, she had thought that by ambushing Robin after he had violated Rhea's orders, not only would the assassination seem justified, but also unquestionable. Sure, it was a dirty blow, but the Knights had sullied their hands more than once. No one would spare a second glance. Not here, and not anywhere else.

Especially not in Duscur.

What a strange thing, Catherine thought, that she would think of her fights with the people of Duscur now. She wasn't even nobility of Faerghus at that point. The contrary, actually- she was a traitor to the King. Rhea hadn't intervened in the 'tragedy' immediately, but by the time she had, Catherine was among the first she had sent. She wasn't angry at the Duscur people, but for some reason, cutting them down felt easier knowing that they had been the supposed architect of her social downfall. The things she did weren't pretty, certainly not noble, but she had done her duty as a Knight of Seiros.

Funny, here she was, fighting Rhea's protege of 'Seiros.'

This had gone on for far too long. She was starting to get tired.

"I've had enough of this," she cursed, breaking Tiki's guard with a punch instead of a strike. Her left fist collided with Tiki's jaw with a sickening snap, definitely cracking bone from the impact. Before the Saint could react further, Thunderbrand had been embedded in Tiki's leg. Not all the way, good heavens that would be a near amputation, but enough to bring the fighter to her knees. She pulled the blade out quickly, the battle won and settled. She glared at Lonato, but decided to start with Robin first.

"Tiki!" Robin yelled, rushing to the Manakete's aid. Lucina rushed forward as well, clearly distraught at this point. Still, she didn't raise a sword to Catherine, who had her sights on Robin anyway.

Byleth raised a hand, but that voice in her head told her to wait a moment longer.

* * *

_'She held out quite a long time. You should be proud of her.'_

_'Catherine wasn't trying to go for the kill. We should stop this here.'_

_'We still have no idea what to do. Catherine was ordered by Rhea?'_

_'Can you bring us back to before the mission?'_

_'I could. What, would going back that far help?'_

_'It might- Wait. What's happening?'_

_'It sounds like... singing. It's nice... I'm getting... s-sleepy.'_

* * *

Byleth turned towards the outskirts of the fight where the healers were congregated. Azura and Mercedes were tending to the injured, but apparently the former had decided against that obligation and had been spectating the fight.

And what was that blue glow on her... pendant?

* * *

_You are the ocean's gray waves..._

* * *

Catherine stopped in her tracks, possessed by some sort of trance. Around her appeared to be bubbles, glowing an ethereal cyan. At the same time, many of the Blue Lions, Byleth, Hanneman, and even some of the knights and rebels were immobilized as well, with the tell-tale water dancing around their heads. As soon as the melody had ended, the bubbles dispersed, and everyone afflicted by the spell had fallen to the ground, not unconscious, but...

"Asleep? They're fine, I think," Lucina observed, checking for Catherine's pulse. Likewise, Dedue worriedly checked over the sleeping Dimitri, who had fallen atop Sylvain and Felix. Actually, out of all the Blue Lions, only Ashe and Dedue were still up, the former just getting his bearings. The students looked around, but only Corrin and Takumi knew at whom to look. Running quickly, Corrin caught up to Azura, not noticing how unsteady she was already.

"Your pendant is working! Why now, though?"

"I'm not quite sure myself but that... w-was..." Azura stammered, losing her balance and falling to the ground in a sweaty mess. "A lot... of people."

"She's out cold. What was that?" Leo wondered. "Was she injured?"

"I don't think so. I don't see any wounds or bruises on her," Lucina joined in. "Was that her that just cast that spell? What happened to everyone?"

"I'm not sure, but we should get out of here while we can," Robin advised. "Lonato, you're coming with-"

Oh. Lonato was gone.

In the confusion, it seemed he had made his escape.

* * *

"Here, let's get you up," Robin said with a turn, supporting the weary Tiki with his body as he brought the injured manakete to an upright.

"Whoever was singing so... nice..." Tiki drawled, more lucid than not from the blood loss. Quickly, Lucina addressed the wound with a bandage and some dressing before Robin reinforced it with a low-level healing spell. It was a miracle that it was just a flesh wound, given the state of Thunderbrand. Within moments, Tiki was snoring away, still being held upright on the tactician's shoulders.

"Mar...Mar..."

"And she's out too. Weird. Didn't look like she was affected by the spell though," Robin observed, laying Tiki down in one of the supply wagons. Likewise, most of unconscious knights and students were laid lengthwise in the carts, but not all of them could fit.

"This is troublesome. Do we leave them here, or wait till they rise? And look at all the horses that we have to bring back as well," Ashe stated.

"I'll stay with the knights and professors," Corrin volunteered. Ashe joined in, staying behind as well.

"I suppose I'm Lord Gaspard now, though I doubt it's anything official. And you guys spared my father! He's probably back at the castle, huh. I owe you, truly, Corrin, Robin. Sorry for overreacting about... that. It was hard enough trying to aim a bow at my father to begin with."

"No need," Corrin laughed, patting Ashe on the shoulder. "Your reaction was very genuine. If you are upset, blame Robin for coming up with the... more _uncertain _half of the plan."

"It worked, didn't it? Now we just have to find him and keep him safe from the Archbishop's wrath. Tricky, but it's better than executing him. Plus, maybe she'll focus on me now and forget about him, hmm?" Robin flashed an uncharacteristically wide smile despite his close encounter with death. Ashe nervously laughed along, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't joke about that, considering everything else, but thank you so much, Robin. I'm forever in your debt. Hey, if I'm technically Lord Gaspard, I'll see if I can procure us some wagons and supplies from the Gaspard castle. It's the least I can do to get us all back to the monastery safely."

"That sounds like a good plan. Robin, I think I'll ride with Ashe. Will you stay with the... sleepers? Is it far away?" she added quickly as an aside to Ashe. The boy nodded, pointing down the road.

"We keep going down the Magdred Pass. Maybe an hour's ride, and another hour to get the supplies if the servants will listen to me." Robin seemed okay with the plan, agreeing with both word and body language.

"Sure, I can stay until then. Er, wait. Where's Lady Catherine?"

"Unconscious on one of the wagons. Don't worry," Lucina assured. "I can stay behind, if you aren't feeling comfortable."

"That's a good alternative. Alright."

Lucina dismounted the wagon, leaving the unconscious Tiki's side and saddling up two horses next to Robin.

"Brother, you're in charge. Take care of everyone, alright?" Lucina ordered, pointing to Laslow with all the authority a House Leader could muster.

"Roger that, Sis. House Leader's pledge," he joked, flashing a shining smile. Lucina returned it, nodding as she waved the convoy off.

* * *

"What a curious development," Hubert noted, watching the convoy get farther and farther away. It was a three day march back to the monastery, half of that for Hubert and his liege given the prospect of magic.

"Indeed. The Western Church is sure to find this matter... unsatisfactory. I believe we are about to receive some choice words from them for my interference." Edelgard sighed, her armor discarded for now, exchanged for traveler's cloaks to conceal her hair and identity.

Thanks to Jeritza's scheduling, the Black Eagles' mission had been completed last week, freeing up her weekend to lend an incognito assist to the Blue Lions today. And a good thing too that the Flame Emperor appeared when they did, as Robin wouldn't have lasted long against Thunderbrand. At least Edelgard now knew Rhea identified Robin a potential threat, which meant her influence over the Dragons was as she suspected, minimal. Even Tiki stood against her, which was a pleasant surprise and those always made her days a little bit brighter.

"And why do you think that?" Hubert asked, interrupting the motions of Edelgard's head.

"My interference may have delayed Lonato's martyrdom."

"Indeed, the man lives due to no small miracle. He has no lands and no army, and is privy to his son for protection."

"Robin seemed to have that as his objective, nonetheless. I didn't think he would interpret our chat as a reason to try to spare the old man. I fear my conversations with him have inspired our '_Commander_' to take affairs into his own hands. Not a bad thing, provided we can predict his whims next time. I'll take the blame for this... mishap."

"You are truly planning to have him join your Strike Force?"

"It's a thought, yes. You saw how things unfolded. Unfavorable the result may be, he pulled off a decisive and elegant victory today."

"I did. I'm impressed. Provided our visions align by the end of it all, I won't have a problem having him as a fellow general."

"I'm glad to hear it, Hubert."

"It was a surprising display of events for sure. I'm impressed he managed to sweet-talk the old dog in the first place. Still, he wasn't much of a factor either way. This rebellion was merely the gateway for- Ah, I see the problem now," Hubert mused, finally putting the pieces together.

"Exactly. They're going to find the knights patrolling the Mausoleum grounds and not protecting the Archbishop as planned. Trying to get the Sword of Nemesis has become a lot harder. So much for the assassination plot."

* * *

Garreg Mach Infirmary, 4th Afternoon of the Blue Sea Moon, Imperial Year 1180

* * *

"Azura, you have a visitor."

"Ungh... no."

"Sorry Corrin, she's still unwell-"

"W-wait, if it's Corrin, let her in please!"

Manuela laughed at the sudden change in tone, letting the White Dragon inside the infirmary and pulling up a chair next to Azura's bed before returning to her reading in the corner.

Azura's eyes opened, and those tired gold eyes met those deep red ones who were shining quite brightly. Corrin had a rather big smile on her face, much to the annoyance of Azura.

There was a pause of silence, and when Corrin was just about to open her mouth, Azura interrupted her as if on purpose.

"You're being very loud."

"I-I just got here."

"Your smile is too loud."

"You look upset to see me."

Azura's frown relaxed, being replaced with a tired smile. She took Corrin's hand in hers, tracing the warm digits with her own before closing her eyes again. Corrin held on, reassuring Azura even as the dancer yawned a truly tired yawn.

"What on earth took you so long?"

"We ran into a minor hiccup after the battle. We ran out of wagons for the other unconscious knights. The new Lord Gaspard exercised his powers well enough and we came in about a day's ride behind you."

Corrin let Azura take it in, using that time to look around. There were a couple other students from the Black Eagles and Golden Deer inside the recovery room. Tiki was on the bed next to hers, recovering in slumber from her leg wound along with the other injuries sustained at Lonato's hand. Sylvain and Ingrid were tending to Felix who had suffered a few hits to the head due to him...

Corrin giggled uncontrollably, stifling it with her hand when gestured from Manuela to keep it down.

"Did someone choke? What was that," Felix wondered, before being shut up by Sylvain.

"Okay, so Felix might have fallen out of the wagon on accident," Corrin mouthed back, leading Sylvain and Ingrid to laugh as well. Manuela rolled her eyes, turning back to her book.

"Where's everyone?" the Vallite songstress asked, looking around as well as she could despite her headache.

"Well, Robin and Lady Catherine are getting real chummy with each other as neighbors in one of the detention cells underneath Garreg Mach. We're uh... not sure what's going to happen."

"Oh. It seems I couldn't do enough." The hand holding Corrin seemed to weaken, but she returned the favor by holding it even tighter.

"You did all you could. More than anyone else could've," Corrin assured, grateful to her friend for preventing any bloodshed.

"What else? The Professor, House Leader?"

"Well, everyone that you uh... put to sleep, woke up around a day and a half ago, maybe a hundred miles away from Garreg Mach. The ones who weren't affected by your song escorted the first wave back. When we're all up, the Archbishop requested our presence as a class."

"...I see. Wait, I see!"

Azura shot up, nearly hitting her head on Corrin's before she glanced quickly to the slumbering Tiki.

"Hm? See what?"

Claude stirred awake as well, having sustained injuries on his class's mission. He stayed lying down, being that the entire right half of his face was wrapped with a bandage.

"Keep it down, _oneesama_-"

"First off, never _ever_ say that word again," Azura warned, both her and Corrin cringing at the Hoshidan honorific. "Second off, you look horrible. Third, how many miles is Remire from Garreg Mach?"

"First, fine, yeah that was kinda weird. You have to teach me another word to greet you by, anyway. Second, not fine, and you can thank Lys for accidentally shooting me when I tried to push her out of the way of a pirate. And third... let me see. Uh, about forty or so to the west of the base of the mountain, if I'm remembering things. Why?"

"Just a hunch."

"A hunch?" Corrin wondered.

"My pendant was working just fine a couple hundred miles away from the monastery. Like before, it's not anymore. Or should I say, _this close_."

"Pendant? Azura, what's this about?" Claude wondered. Azura ignored him, instead whispering a request to the woman attending her bedside.

"Corrin, bring your dragonstone with you next mission we're far from the Monastery. You must be feeling it as well, right? Some explainable frustration blocking part of you from emerging?"

"Come to think of it, yeah," Corrin realized. "Why?"

"You must be horribly out of practice, right? What say you and Tiki let loose when you get the chance, just like I did?"


End file.
